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BOW-  OP- 
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RIBBON 

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LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OR 
RNIA 


7 


V/J 


THE 


BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON 
A  Romance  of  New  York 


BY 

AMELIA  E.  B^RR 

Airraoa  OP  *  JAN  VBDDBR'S  WIFE,"  M^L  DAUGHTER  OP  Ftes,"  ETC. 


NEW    YORK 

DODD,    MEAD    AND    COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1886, 
Br  DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY, 


£g  permission, 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DEDICATED  TO  THE 

DollanD  Society  of  flew  Eotfu  * 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  VAN  HEEMSKIBKS        ....  1 

II.  LOVE'S  HOUR 12 

III.  ORANJEBOVEN      ......  25 

IV.  JOY  IN  THE  HOUSE 41 

V.  THE  BEGINNING  OF  STRIFE 54 

VI.  AT  THE  SWORD'S  POINT        ....      71 

VII.  AT  "THE  KING'S  ARMS"     ....      84 

VIII.  "  THE  SILVER  LINK,  THE  SILKEN  TIE  .       .    loa 

IX.  KATHERINE'S  DECISION        .       .       .       .126 

X.  POPULAR  OPINION 144 

XI.  AT  HYDE  MANOR,  AND  BRAM  AND  MIRIAM  .    161 
XII.  LONDON  LIFE 178 

XIII.  THE  TURN  OF  THE  TIDE       .       .       .       .193 

XIV.  THE  Bow  OF  ORANGE  EIBBON      .       .       .    203 
XV.  TURNING  WESTWARD 214 

XVL  FOR  FREEDOM'S  SAKE 232, 

Til 


THE  Bow  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON-. 

A  ROMANCE  OF  NEW  YORK. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

THE  VAN   HEEMSKIRKS.  » 

"  The  tender  grace  of  a  day  that  is  dead.'* 
"  Love,  that  old  song,  of  which  the  world  is  never  weary." 

IT  was  one  of  those  beautiful,  lengthening  days, 
when  May  was  pressing  back  with  both  hands  the 
shades  of  the  morning  and  the  evening;  May  in 
New  York  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  years  ago, 
and  yet  the  May  of  A.  D.  1886,— the  same  clear  air 
and  wind,  the  same  rarefied  freshness,  full  of  faint, 
passing  aromas  from  the  wet  earth  and  the  salt  sea 
and  the  blossoming  gardens.  For  on  the  shore  of 
the  East  River  the  gardens  still  sloped  down,  even 
to  below  Peck  slip ;  and  behind  old  Trinity  the  apple- 
trees  blossomed  like  bridal  nosegays,  the  pear-trees 
rose  in  immaculate  pyramids,  and  here  and  there 
cows  were  coming  up  heavily  to  the  scattered 
houses;  the  lazy,  intermitting  tinkle  of  their  bells 
giving  a  pleasant  notice  of  their  approach  to  the 
waiting  milking-women. 

In  the  city  the  business  of  the  day  was  over ;  but  at 
the  open  doors  of  many  of  the  shops,  little  groups  of 
apprentices  in  leather  aprons  were  talking,  and  on 
the  broad  steps  of  the  City  Hall  a  number  of  grave- 
looking  men  were  slowly  separating  after  a  very  sat- 
isfactory civic  session.  They  had  been  discussing 
the  marvelous  increase  of  the  export  trade  of  New 
York ;  and  some  vision  of  their  city's  future  great- 
ness may  have  appeared  to  them,  for  they  held  them- 


2  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

selves  with  the  lofty  and  confident  air  of  wealthy 
merchants  and  "  members  of  his  Majesty's  Council 
for  the  Province  of  New  York." 

They  were  all  noticeable  men,  but  Joris  Tan 
Heemskirk  specially  so.  His  bulk  was  so  great  that 
it  seemed  as  if  he  must  have  been  built  up :  it  was 
too  much  to  expect  that  he  had  ever  been  a  baby. 
He  had  a  fair,  ruddy  face,  and  large,  firm  eyes,  and 
a  mouth  that  was  at  once  strong  and  sweet.  And  he 
was  also  very  handsomely  dressed.  The  long,  stiff 
skirts  of  his  dark-blue  coat  were  lined  with  satin,  his 
breeches  were  of  black  velvet,  his  ruffles  edged  with 
Flemish  lace,  his  shoes  clasped  with  silver  buckles, 
his  cocked-hat  made  of  the  finest  beaver. 

With  his  head  a  little  forward,  and  his  right  arm 
across  his  back,  he  walked  slowly  up  Wall  Street 
into  Broadway,  and  then  took  a  northwesterly  direc- 
tion toward  the  river-bank.  His  home  was  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  city,  but  not  far  away ;  and  his  face 
lightened  as  he  approached  it.  It  was  a  handsome 
house,  built  of  yellow  bricks,  two  stories  high,  with 
windows  in  the  roof,  and  gables  sending  up  sharp 
points  skyward.  There  were  weather-cocks  on  the 
gables,  and  little  round  holes  below  the  weather- 
cocks, and  small  iron  cranes  below  the  holes,  and 
little  windows  below  the  cranes, — all  perfectly  use- 
less, but  also  perfectly  picturesque  and  perfectly 
Dutch.  The  rooms  were  large  and  airy,  and  the 
garden  sloped  down  to  the  river-side.  It  had  paths 
bordered  by  clipped  box,  and  shaded  by  holly  and 
yew  trees  cut  in  fantastic  shapes. 

In  the  spring  this  garden  was  a  wonder  of  tulips 
and  hyacinths  and  lilacs,  of  sweet  daffodils  and 
white  lilies.  In  the  summer  it  was  ruddy  with  roses, 
and  blazing  with  verbenas,  and  gay  with  the  labur- 
num's gold  cascade.  Then  the  musk  carnations  and 
the  pale  slashed  pinks  exhaled  a  fragrance  that 
made  the  heart  dream  idyls.  In  the  autumn  there 
was  the  warm,  sweet  smell  of  peaches  and  pears  and 
apples.  There  were  morning-glories  in  riotous  pro- 
fusion, tall  hollyhocks,  and  wonderful  dahlias.  In 
winter  it  still  had  charms, — the  white  snow,  and  the 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  3 

green  box  and  cedar  and  holly,  and  the  sharp  de- 
scent of  its  frozen  paths  to  the  frozen  river.  Coun- 
cillor Van  Heemskirk's  father  had  built  the  house 
and  planted  the  garden,  and  he  had  the  Dutch  rever- 
ence fora  good  ancestry.  Often  he  sent  his  thoughts 
backward  to  remember  how  he  walked  by  his  father's 
side,  or  leaned  against  his  mother's  chair,  as  they 
told  him  the  tragic  tales  of  the  old  Barneveldt  and 
the  hapless  De  Witts;  or  how  his  young  heart  glowed 
to  their  memories  of  the  dear  fatherland,  and  the 
proud  march  of  the  Batavian  republic. 

But  this  night  the  mournful  glamour  of  the  past 
caught  a  fresh  glory  from  the  dawn  of  a  grander  day 
forespoken.  "  More  than  three  hundred  vessels  may 
leave  the  port  of  New  York  this  same  year,"  he 
thought.  "  It  is  the  truth ;  every  man  of  standing 
says  so. — Good-evening,  Mr.  Justice.  Good-even- 
ing, neighbors;  "  and  he  stood  a  minute,  with  his 
hands  on  his  garden-gate,  to  bow  to  Justice  Van 
Gaasbeeck  and  to  Peter  Sluyter,  who,  with  their 
wives,  were  going  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  at  Chris- 
topher Laer's  garden.  There  the  women  would 
have  chocolate  and  hot  waffles,  and  discuss  the  new 
camblets  and  shoes  just  arrived  from  England,  and 
to  be  bought  at  Jacob  Kip's  store;  and  the  men 
would  have  a  pipe  of  Virginia  and  a  glass  of  hot 
Hollands,  and  fight  over  again  the  quarrel  pending 
between  the  governor  and  the  Assembly. 

"Men  can  bear  all  things  but  good  days,"  said 
Peter  Sluyter,  when  they  had  gone  a  dozen  yards  in 
silence:  "since  Van  Heemskirk  has  a  seat  in  the 
council-room,  it  is  a  long  way  to  his  hat." 

"  Come,  now,  he  was  very  civil,  Sluyter.  He  bows 
like  a  man  not  used  to  make  a  low  bow,  that  is  all." 

"Well,  well!  with  time,  every  one  gets  into  his 
right  -place.  In  the  City  Hall,  I  may  yet  put  my 
chair  beside  his,  Van  Gaasbeeck." 

"So  say  I,  Sluyter;  and,  for  the  present,  it  is  all 
well  as  it  is." 

This  little  envious  fret  of  his  neighbor  lost  itself 
outside  Joris  Van  Heemskirk's  home.  Within  it, 
all  was  love  and  content.  He  quickly  divested  him- 


4  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

self  of  his  fine  coat  and  ruffles,  and  in  a  long  scar- 
let vest,  and  a  little  skull-cap  of  orange  silk,  sat 
down  to  smoke.  He  had  talked  a  good  deal  in  the 
City  Hall,  and  he  was  chewing  the  cud  of  his  wis- 
dom over  again.  Madam  Van  Heemskirk  under- 
stood that,  and  she  let  the  good  man  reconsider 
himself  in  peace.  Besides,  this  was  her  busy  hour. 
She  was  giving  out  the  food  for  the  morning's 
breakfast,  and  locking  up  the  cupboards,  and  list- 
ening to  complaints  from  the  kitchen,  aad  making 
a  plaster  for  black  Tom's  bealing  finger.  In  some 
measure,  she  prepared  all  day  for  this  hour,  and 
yet  there  was  always  something  unforeseen  to  be 
done  in  it. 

She  was  a  little  woman,  with  clear-cut  features, 
and  brown  hair  drawn  backward  under  a  cap  of  lace 
very  stiffly  starched.  Her  tight-fitting  dress  of  blue 
taffeta  was  open  in  front,  and  looped  up  behind  in 
order  to  show  an  elaborately  quilted  petticoat  of 
light  blue  camblet.  Her  white  wool  stockings  were 
clocked  with  blue,  her  high-heeled  shoes  cut  very 
low,  and  clasped  with  small  silver  buckles.  From 
her  trim  cap  to  her  trig  shoes,  she  was  a  pleasant" 
and  comfortable  picture  of  a  happy,  domestic 
woman ;  smiling,  peaceful,  and  easy  to  live  with. 

When  the  last  duty  was  finished,  she  let  her  bunch 
of  keys  fall  with  a' satisfactory  "  all  done  "  jingle, 
that  made  her  Joris  look  at  her  with- -a  smile.  "  That 
is  so."  she  said  in  answer  to  it.  "  A  woman  is  glad 
when  she  gets  all  under  lock  and  key  for  a  few  hours. 
Servants  are  not  made  without  fingers;  and,  I  can 
tell  thee,  all  the  thieves  are  not  yet  hung." 

"  That  needs  no  proving,  Lysbet.  But  where, 
then,  is  Joanna  and  the  little  one  ?  And  Bram  should 
be  home  ere  this.  He  has  staid  out  late  more  than 
once  lately,  and  it  vexes  me.  Thou  art  his  mother, 
speak  to  him." 

"  Bram  is  good :  do  not  make  his  bridle  too  short. 
Katherine  troubles  me  more  than  Bram.  She  is 
quiet  and  thinks  much;  and  when  I  say,  'What  art 
thou  thinking  of?'  she  answers  always,  'Nothing, 
mother.'  That  is  not  right.  When  "a  girl  says, 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  5 

'Nothing,  mother,'  there  is  something — perhaps,  in- 
deed, somebody— on  her  mind." 

"  Katherine  is  nothing  but  a  child.  Who  would 
talk  love  to  a  girl  who  has  not  yet  taken  her  first 
communion  ?  What  you  think  is  nonsense,  Lys- 
bet ; "  but  he  looked  annoyed,  and  the  comfort  of  his 
pipe  was  gone.  He  put  it  down,  and  walked  to  a 
side-door,  where  he  stood  a  little  while,  watching 
the  road  with  a  fretful  anxiety. 

"  Why  don't  the  children  come,  then  ?  It  is  nearly 
dark,  and  the  dew  falls ;  and  the  river  mist  I  like  not 
for  them." 

"  For  my  part,  I  am  not  uneasy,  Joris.  They  were 
to  drink  a  dish  of  tea  with  Madam  Semple,  and  Bram 
promised  to  go  for  them.  And,  see,  they  are  com- 
ing; but  Bram  is  not  with  them,  only  the  elder. 
Now,  what  can  be  the  matter?  " 

"  For  every  thing,  there  are  more  reasons  than 
one :  if  there  is  a  bad  reason,  Elder  Semple  will  be 
sure  to  croak  about  it.  I. could  wish  that  just  now 
he  had  not  come." 

"  But  then  he  is  here,  and  the  welcome  must  be 
given  to  a  caller  on  the  threshold.  You  know  that, 
Joris." 

"  I  will  not  break  a  good  custom." 

Elder  Alexander  Semple  was  a  great  man  in  his 
sphere.  He  had  a  reputation  both  for  riches  and 
godliness,  and  was  scarcely  more  respected  in  the 
market-place  than  he  was  in  the  Middle  Kirk.  And 
there  was  an  old  tie  between  the  Semples  and  the 
Van  Heemskirks, — a  tie  going  back  to  the  days  when 
the  Scotch  Covenanters  and  the  Netherland  Confes- 
sors clasped  hands  as  brothers  in  their  "churches 
under  the  cross."  Then  one  of  the  Semples  had  fled 
for  life  from  Scotland  to  Holland,  and  been  sheltered 
in  the  house  of  a  Van  Heemskirk;  and  from  gener- 
ation to  generation  the  friendship  had  been  contin- 
ued. So  there  was  much  real  kindness  and  very 
little  ceremony  between  the  families ;  and  the  elder 
met  his  friend  Joris  with  a  grumble  about  having  to 
act  as  "  convoy  "  for  two  lasses,  when  the  river  mist 
made  the  duty  so  unpleasant. 


6  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  Not  to  say  dangerous,"  he  added,  with  a  forced 
cough.  "  I  hae  my  plaid  and  my  bonnet  on ;  but  a 
coat  o'  mail  couldna  stand  mists,  that  are  a  vera 
shadow  o'  death  to  an  auld  man,  wi'  a  sair  shortness 
o'  the  breath." 

"Sit  down,  elder,  near  the  fire.  A  glass  of  hot 
Hollands  will  take  the  chill  from  you." 

"  You  are  mair  than  kind,  gudewife ;  and  I'll  no 
say  but  what  a  sma'  glass  is  needfu',  what  wi'  the 
late  hour,  and  the  thick  mist  " — 

"  Come,  come,  elder.  Mists  in  every  country  you 
will  find,  until  you  reach  the  New  Jerusalem." 

"  Vera  true,  but  there's  a  difference  in  mists.  Noo, 
a  Scotch  mist  isna  at  all  unhealthy.  When  I  was  a 
laddie,  I  hae  been  out  in  them  for  a  week  thegither, 
ay,  and  felt  the  better  o'  them."  He  had  taken  off 
his  plaid  and  bonnet  as  he  spoke ;  and  he  drew  the 
chair  set  for  him  in  front  of  the  blazing  logs,  and 
stretched  out  his  thin  legs  to  the  comforting  heat. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  girls  had  gone  up-stairs 
together ;  and  their  footsteps  and  voices,  and  Kath- 
erine's  rippling  laugh,  could  be  heard  distinctly 
through  the  open  doors.  Then  madam  called,  "  Jo- 
anna!" and  the  girl  came  down  at  once.  She  was 
tying  on  her  white  apron  as  she  entered  the  room ; 
and,  at  a  word  from  her  mother,  she  began  to  take 
from  the  cupboards  various  Dutch  dainties,  and 
East  Indian  jars  of  fruits  and  sweetmeats,  and  a 
case  of  crystal  bottles,  and  some  fine  lemons.  She 
was  a  fair,  rosy  girl,  with  a  kind,  cheerful  face,  a 
pleasant  voice,  and  a  smile  that  was  at  once  inno- 
cent and  bright.  Her  fine  light  hair  was  rolled  high 
and  backward;  and  no  one  could  have  imagined  a 
dress  more  suitable  to  her  than  the  trig  dark  bodice, 
the  quilted  skirt,  and  the  white  apron  she  wore. 

Her  father  and  mother  watched  her  with  a  loving 
satisfaction ;  and  though  Elder  Semple  was  discours- 
ing on  that  memorable  dispute  between  the  Caetus 
and  Gpnferentie  parties,  which  had  resulted  in  the 
establishment  of  an  independent  Dutch  church  in 
America,  he  was  quite  sensible  of  Joanna's  presence, 
and  of  what  she  was  doing. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  7 

"I  was  aye  for  the  ordaining  o'  American  minis- 
ters in  America,"  he  said,  as  he  touched  the  finger- 
tips of  his  left  hand  with  those  of  his  right;  and 
then  in  an  aside  full  of  personal  interest,  "  Joanna, 
my  dearie,  I'll  hae  a  Holland  bloater  and  nae  other 
thing.— And  I  was  a  proud  man  when  I  got  the 
invite  to  be  secretary  to  the  first  meeting  o'  the  new 
Caetus.  Maybe  it  is  praising  green  barley  to  say 
just  yet  that  it  was  a  wise  departure;  but  I  think 
sae,  I  think  sae." 

At  this  point,  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk  came 
into  the  room;  and  the  elder  slightly  moved  his 
chair,  and  said,  "  Come  awa',  my  bonnie  lassie,  and 
let  us  hae  a  look  at  you."  And  Katherine  laugh- 
ingly pushed  a  stool  toward  the  fire,  and  sat  down 
between  the  two  men  on  the  hearthstone.  She  was 
the  daintiest  little  Dutch  maiden  that  ever  latched  a 
shoe,— very  diminutive,  with  a  complexion  like  a 
sea-shell,  great  blue  eyes,  and  such  a  quantity  of 
pale  yellow  hair,  that  it  made  light  of  its  ribbon 
snood,  and  rippled  over  her  brow  and  slender  white 
neck  in  bewildering  curls.  She  dearly  loved  fine 
clothes ;  and  she  had  not  removed  her  visiting  dress 
of  Indian  silk,  nor  her  necklace  of  amber  beads. 
And  in  her  hands  she  held  a  great  mass  of  lilies  of 
the  valley,  which  she  caressed  almost  as  if  they 
were  living  things. 

"  Father,"  she  said,  nestling  close  to  his  side, 
"  look  at  the  lilies.  How  straight  they  are !  How 
strong!  Oh,  the  white  bells  full  of  sweet  scent!  In 
them  put  your  face,  father.  They  smell  tof  the 
spring."  Her  fingers  could  scarcely  hold  the  bunch 
she  had  gathered ;  and  she  buried  her  lovely  face  in 
them,  and  then  lifted  it,  with  a  charming  look  of 
delight,  and  the  cries  of  " Oh,  oh,  how  delicious!  " 

Long  before  supper  was  over,  Madam  Van  Heems- 
kirk had  discovered  that  this  night  Elder  Semple 
had  a  special  reason  for  his  call.  His  talk  of  Mennon 
and  the  Anabaptists  and  the  objectionable  Luther- 
ans, she  perceived,  was  all  surface  talk ;  and  when 
the  meal  was  finished,  and  the  girls  gone  to  their 
room,  she  was  not  astonished  to  hear  him  say, 


8  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  Joris,  let  us  light  another  pipe.  I  hae  something 
to  speak  anent.— Sit  still,  gudewife,  we  shall  want 
your  word  on  the  matter." 

"  On  what  matter,  elder?  " 

"  Anent  a  marriage  between  my  son  Neil  and  your 
daughter  Katherine." 

The  words  fell  with  a  sharp  distinctness,  not  un- 
kindly, but  as  if  they  were  more  than  common 
words.  They  were  followed  by  a  marked  silence,  a 
silence  which  in  no  way  disturbed  Semple.  He  knew 
his  friends  well,  and  therefore  he  expected  it.  He 
puffed  his  pipe  slowly,  and  glanced  at  Joris  and 
Lysbet  Van  Heemskirk.  The  father's  face  had  not 
moved  a  muscle ;  the  mother's  was  like  a  handsome 
closed  book.  She  went  on  with  her  knitting,  and 
only  showed  that  she  had  heard  the  proposal  by  a 
small  pretence  of  finding  it  necessary  to  count  the 
stitches  in  the  heel  she  was  turning.  Still,  there 
had  been  some  faint,  evanescent  flicker  on  her  face, 
some  droop  or  lift  of  the  eyelids,  which  Joris  under- 
stood; for,  after  a  glance  at  her,  he  said  slowly, 
"  For  Katherine  the  marriage  would  be  good,  and 
Lysbet  and  I  would  like  it.  However,  we  will  think 
a  little  about  it;  there  is  time,  and  to  spare.  One 
should  not  run  on  a  new  road.  The  first  step  is 
what  I  like  to  be  sure  of;  as  you  know,  elder,  to  the 
second  step  it  often  binds  you. — Say  what  you  think, 
Lysbet." 

"  Neil  is  to  my  mind,  when  the  time  comes.  But 
yet  the  child  knows  not  perfectly  her  Heidelberg. 
And  there  is  more :  she  must  learn  to  help  her 
mother  about  the  house  before  she  can  manage  a 
house  of  her  own.  So  in  time,  I  say,  it  would  be  a 
good  thing.  We  have  been  long  good  friends/' 

"  We  hae  been  friends  for  four  generations,  and 
we  may  safely  tie  the  knot  tighter  now.  There  are 
wise  folk  that  say  the  Dutch  and  the  Lowland 
Scotch  are  of  the  same  stock,  and  a  vera  gude  stock 
it  is, — the  women  o'  baith  being  fair  as  lilies  and 
thrifty  as  bees,  and  the  men  just  a  wonder  p'  ever£ 
thing  wise  and  weel-spoken  o'.  Forbye,  baith  o'  us 
—Scotch  and  Dutch— are  strict  Protestors.  The  Lady 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  9 

o'  Home  never  threw  dust  in  our  een,  and  neither  o* 
us  would  put  our  noses  to  the  ground  for  either 
powers  spiritual  or  powers  temporal.  When  I  think 
o'  our  John  Knox  "- 

"  First  came  Erasmus,  elder." 

"  Surely.  Well,  well,  it  was  about  wedding  and 
housekeeping  I  came  to  speak,  and  we'll  hae  it  oot. 
The  land  between  this  place  and  my  place,  on  the 
river-side,  is  your  land,  Joris.  Give  it  to  Katherine, 
and  I  will  build  the  young  things  a  house;  and  the 
furnishing  and  plenishing  we'll  share  between  us." 

"  There  is  more  to  a  wedding  than  house  and  land, 
elder." 

"  Vera  true,  madam.  There's  the  income  to  meet 
the  outgo.  Neil  has  a  good  practice  now,  and  is  like 
to  have  better.  They'll  be  comfortable  and  respect- 
able, madam ;  but  I  think  well  o'  you  for  speering 
after  the  daily  bread." 

"  Well,  look  now,  it  was  not  the  bread-making  I 
was  thinking  about.  It  was  the  love-making.  A 
young  girl  should  be  wooed  before  she  is  married. 
You  know  how  it  is ;  and  Katherine,  the  little  one, 
she  thinks  not  of  such  a  thing  as  love  and  marriage. 'r 

"  Wha  kens  what  thoughts  are  under  curly  locks 
at  seventeen  ?  You'll  hae  noticed,  madam,  that 
Katherine  has  come  mair  often  than  ordinar'  to 
Semple  House  lately  ?  " 

"  That  is  so.  It  was  because  of  Col.  Gordon's  wife, 
who  likes  Katherine.  She  is  teaching  her  a  new 
stitch  in  her  crewel- work." 

"Hum — m—  m!  Mistress  Gordon  has  likewise  a 
nephew,  a  vera  handsome  lad.  I  hae  seen  that,  he 
takes  a  deal  o'  interest  in  the  crewel-stitch  likewise. 
And  Neil  has  seen  it  too, — for  Neil  has  set  his  heart 
on  Katherine, — and  this  afternoon  there  was  a  look 
passed  between  the  young  men  I  dinna  like.  We'll 
be  haeing  a  challenge,  and  twa  fools  playing  at 
murder,  next." 

"I  am  glad  you  spoke,  elder.  Thank  you.  I'll 
turn  your  words  over  in  my  heart  "  But  Van 
Heemskirk  was  under  a  certain  constraint :  he  was 
beginning  to  understand  the  situation,  to  see  ia 


10  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

what  danger  his  darling  might  be.  He  was  appar- 
ently calm ;  but  an  angry  fire  was  gathering  in  his 
eyes,  and  stern  lines  settling  about  the  lower  part  of 
his  face. 

"  You  ken,"  answered  Semple,  who  felt  a  trifle  un- 
easy in  the  sudden  constraint,  "I  hae  little  skill  in 
the  ordering  o'  girl  bairns.  The  Almighty  thought 
them  "beyond  my  guiding,  and  I  must  say  they  are  a 
great  charge,  a  great  charge ;  and,  wi'  all  my  in- 
firmities and  simplicity,— anent  women, — one  that 
would  hae  been  mair  than  I  could  hae  kept.  But  I 
hae  brought  up  my  lads  in  a  vera  creditable  way. 
They  know  how  to  manage  their  business,  and  they 
hae  the  true  religion.  I  am  sure  Neil  would  make  a 
good  husband,  and  I  would  be  glad  to  hae  him  set- 
tled near  by.  My  three  eldest  lads  hae  gone  far  off, 
Joris,  as  you  ken." 

"  I  remember.  Two  went  to  the  Virginia  Col- 
ony "— 

"  To  Norfolk, — tobacco  brokers,  and  making 
money.  My  son  Alexander — a  wise  lad — went  to 
Boston,  and  is  in  the  African  trade.  I  may  say  that 
they  are  all  honest,  pious  men,  without  wishing  to 
be  martyrs  for  honesty  and  piety,  which,  indeed,  in 
these  days  is  mercifully  not  called  for.  As  for  Neil, 
he's  our  last  bairn ;  and  his  mother  and  I  would  fain 
keep  him  near  us.  Katherine  would  be  a  welcome 
daughter  to  our  auld  age,  and  weel  loved,  and  much 
made  o' ;  and  I  hope  baith  Madam  Van  Heemskirk 
and  yoursel'  will  think  with  us." 

"  We  have  said  we  would  like  the  marriage.  It  is 
the  truth.  But,  look  now,  Katherine  shall  not  come 
any  more  to  your  house  at  this  time,  not  while 
English  soldiers  come  and  go  there ;  for  I  will  not 
have  her  speak  to  one :  they  are  no  good  for  us." 

"That  is  right  for  you,  but  not  for  me.  My  wife 
was  a  Gordon,  and  we  couldn't  but  offer  our  house 
to  a  cousin  in  a  strange  country.  And  you'll  find 
few  better  men  than  Col.  Nigel  Gordon ;  as  for  his 
wife,  she's  a  fine  English  leddy,  and  I  hae  little 
knowledge  anent  such  women.  But  a  Scot  canna 
kithe  a  kindness :  if  I  gie  Col.  Gordon  a  share  o'  my 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  11 

house,  I  must  e'en  show  a  sort  o'  hospitality  to  his 
friends  and  visitors.  And  the  colonel's  wife  is  much 
thought  o',  in  the  regiment  and  oot  o'  it.  She  has  a 
sight  o'  good  company, — young  officers  and  bonnie 
leddies,  and  some  o'  the  vera  best  o'  our  ain  peo- 
ple." 

"  There  it  is.  I  want  not  my  daughters  to  learn 
new  ways.  There  are  the  Van  Voorts :  they  began 
to  dine  and  dance  at  the  governor's  house,  and  then 
they  went  to  the  English  Church." 

"They  were  Lutherans  to  begin  wi',  Jons." 

"My  Lysbet  is  the  finest  lady  in  the  whole  land: 
let  her  daughters  walk  in  her  steps.  That  is  what  I 
want.  But  Neil  can  come  here :  I  will  make  him 
welcome,  and  a  good  girl  is  to  be  courted  on  her 
father's  hearth.  Now,  there  is  enough  said,  and  also 
there  is  some  one  coming." 

"It  will  be  Neil  andBram;"  and,  as  the  words 
were  spoken,  the  young  men  entered. 

"  Again  you  are  late,  Bram ;  "  and  the  father 
looked  curiously  in  his  son's  face.  It  was  like  look- 
ing back  upon  his  own  youth ;  for  Bram  Van  Heems- 
kirk  had  all  the  physical  traits  of  his  father,— his 
great  size,  his  commanding  presence  and  winning 
address,  his  large  eyes,  his  deep,  sonorous  voice  and 
slow  speech.  He  was  well  dressed  in  light-colored 
broadcloth ;  but  Neil  Semple  wore  a  coat  and  breeches 
of  black  velvet,  with  a  long  satin  vest,  and  fine 
small  ruffles.  He  was  tall  and  swarthy,  and  had  a 
pointed,  rather  sombre  face.  Without  speaking 
much  in  the  way  of  conversation,  he  left  an  im- 
pression always  of  intellectual  adroitness,— a  young 
man  of  whom  people  expected  a  successful  career. 

"With  the  advent  of  Bram  and  Neil,  the  consult- 
ation ended.  The  elder,  grumbling  at  the  chill  and 
mist,  wrapped  himself  in  his  plaid,  and  leaning  on 
his  son's  arm,  cautiously  picked  his  way  home  by 
the  light  of  a  lantern.  Bram  drew  his  chair  to  the 
hearth,  and  sat  silently  waiting  for  any  question  his 
father  might  wish  to  ask.  But  Van  Heemskirk  was 
not  inclined  to  talk.  He  put  aside  his  pipe,  nodded 
gravely  to  his  son,  and  went  thoughtfully  up-stairs. 


12  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

At  the  closed  door  of  his  daughter's  room,  he  stood 
still  a  moment.  There  was  a  murmur  of  conver- 
sation within  it,  and  a  ripple  of  quickly  smothered 
laughter.  How  well  his  soul  could  see  the  child, 
with  her  white,  small  hands  over  her  mouth,  and 
her  bright  hair  scattered  upon  the  white  pillow ! 

" Ach  mijn  kind,  mijn  kind!  Mijn  liefste  kind!" 
he  whispered.  "  God  Almighty  keep  thee  from  sin 
and  sorrow  1 " 


CHAPTEK  II. 

LOVE'S  HOUR. 

"To  be  a  sweetness  more  desired  than  spring,— 
This  is  the  flower  of  life." 

"  Deep  in  the  sun-searched  growths  the  dragon-fly 
Hangs  like  a  blue  thread  loosened  from  the  sky: 

So  this  winged  hour  is  dropped  to  us  from  above. 
Oh,  clasp  we  to  our  hearts,  for  deathless  dower, 
This  close-companioned,  inarticulate  hour 

When  twofold  silence  was  the  song  of  love ! " 

JOEIS  VAN  HEEMSKIKK  had  not  thought  of  prayer; 
but,  in  his  vague  fear  and  apprehension,  his  soul 
beat  at  his  lips,  and  its  natural  language  had  been 
that  appeal  at  his  daughter's  closed  door.  For 
Semple's  words  had  been  like  a  hand  lifting  the 
curtain  in  a  dark  room:  only  a  clouded  and  un- 
certain light  had  been  thrown,  but  in  it  even 
familiar  objects  looked  portentous.  In  these  clays, 
the  tendency  is  to  tone  down  and  to  assimilate,  to 
deprecate  every  thing  positive  and  demonstrative. 
But  Joris  lived  when  the  great  motives  of  humanity 
stood  out  sharp  and  bold,  and  surrounded  by  a  relig- 
ious halo. 

Many  of  his  people  had  begun  to  associate  with 
the  governing  race,  to  sit  at  their  banquets,  and 
even  to  worship  in  their  church ;  but  Joris,  in  his 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  13 

heart,  looked  upon  such  "  indifferents  "  as  renegades 
to  their  God  and  their  fatherland.  He  was  a  Dutch- 
man, soul  and  body;  and  no  English  duke  was 
prouder  of  his  line,  or  his  royal  quarterings,  than 
was  Joris  Van  Heemskirk  of  the  race  of  sailors  and 
patriots  from  whom  he  had  sprung. 

Through  his  father,  he  clasped  hands  with  men 
who  had  swept  the  narrow  seas  with  De  Euyter,  and 
sailed  into  arctic  darkness  and  ice-fields  with  Van 
Heemskirk.  Farther  back,  among  that  mysterious, 
legendary  army  of  patriots  called  "  The  Beggars  of 
the  Sea,"  he  could  proudly  name  his  fore-goers, — 
rough,  austere  men,  covered  with  scars,  who  fol- 
lowed Willemsen  to  the  succor  of  Leyden.  The  like- 
ness of  one  of  them,  Adrian  Van  Heemskirk,  was  in 
his  best  bedroom, — the  big,  square  form  wrapped  in  a 
pea-jacket;  a  crescent  in  his  hat,  with  the  device, 
"  Rather  Turk  than  Papist; "  and  upon  his  breast  one 
of  those  medals,  still  hoarded  in  the  Low  Countries,, 
which  bore  the  significant  words,  "  In  defiance  of 
the  Mass." 

He  knew  all  the  stories  of  these  men, — how,  forti- 
fied by  their  natural  bravery,  and  by  their  Calvin- 
istic  acquiescence  in  the  purposes  of  Providence, 
they  put  out  to  sea  in  any  weather,  braved  any 
danger,  fought  their  enemies  wherever  they  found 
them,  worked  like  beavers  behind  their  dams,  and 
yet  defiantly  flung  open  their  sluice-gates,  and  let  in 
the  ocean,  to  drown  out  their  enemies. 

Through  his  mother,  a  beautiful  Zealand  woman, 
he  was  related  to  the  Evertsens,  the  victorious 
admirals  of  Zealand,  and  also  to  the  great  mercan- 
tile family  of  Doversteghe ;  and  he  thought  the  en- 
terprise of  the  one  as  honorable  as  the  valor  of  the 
other.  Beside  the  sailor  pictures  of  Cornelius  and 
Jan  Evertsen,  and  the  famous  "  Keesje  the  Devil," 
he  hung  sundry  likenesses  of  men  with  grave,  calm 
faces,  proud  and  lofty  of  aspect,  dressed  in  rich 
black  velvet  and  large  wide  collars, — merchants 
who  were  every  inch  princes  of  commerce  and 
industry. 

These  lines  of  thought,  almost  tedious  to  indicate, 


14  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

flashed  hotly  and  vividly  through  his  mind.  The 
likes  and  dislikes,  the  faiths  and  aspirations,  of  past 
centuries,  colored  the  present  moments,  as  light 
flung  through  richly  stained  glass  has  its  white 
radiance  tinged  by  it.  The  feeling  of  race— that 
strong  and  mysterious  tie  which  no  time  nor  circum- 
stances can  eradicate — was  so  living  a  motive  in 
Joris  Van  Heemskirk's  heart,  that  he  had  been  quite 
conscious  of  its  appeal  when  Semple  spoke  of  a  mar- 
riage between  Katherine  and  his  own  son.  And 
Semple  had  understood  this,  when  he  so  cunningly 
insinuated  a  common  stock  and  a  common  form  of 
faith.  For  he  had  felt,  instinctively,  that  even  the 
long  tie  of  friendship  between  them  was  hardly 
sufficient  to  bridge  over  the  gulf  of  different  nation- 
alities. 

Then,  Katherine  was  Van  Heemskirk's  darling, 
the  very  apple  of  his  eye.  He  felt  angry  that 
already  there  should  be  plans  laid  to  separate  her  in 
any  way  from  him.  His  eldest  daughters,  Cornelia 
and  Anna,  had  married  men  of  substance  in  Esopus 
and  Albany:  he  knew  they  had  done  well  for  them- 
selves, and  had  become  contented  in  that  knowl- 
edge ;  but  he  also  felt  that  they  were  far  away  from 
his  love  and  home.  Joanna  was  already  betrothed 
to  Capt.  Batavius  de  Vries ;  Bram  would  doubtless 
find  himself  a  wife  very  soon :  for  a  little  while,  he 
had  certainly  hoped  to  keep  Katherine  by  his  own 
side.  Semple,  in  speaking  of  her  as  already  mar- 
riageable, had  given  him  a  shock.  It  seemed  "such  a 
few  years  since  he  had  walked  her  to  sleep  at  nights, 
cradled  in  his  strong  arms,  close  to  his  great,  loving 
heart;  such  a  little  while  ago  when  she  toddled 
about  the  garden  at  his  side,  her  plump  white  hands 
holding  his  big  forefinger;  only  yesterday  that  she 
tad  been  going  to  the  school,  with  her  spelling-book 
and  Heidelberg  in  her  hand.  When  Lysbet  had 
spoken  to  him  of  the  English  lady  staying  with 
Madam  Semple,  who  was  teaching  Katherine  the 
new  crewel-stitch,  it  had  appeared  to  him  quite 
proper  that  such  a  child  should  be  busy  learning 
something  in  the  way  of  needlework.  "  Needle- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  15 

work  "  had  been  given  as  the  reason  of  those  visits, 
which  he  now  remembered  had  been  very  frequent ; 
and  he  was  so  absolutely  truthful,  that  he  never 
imagined  the  word  to  be  in  any  measure  a  false 
definition. 

Therefore,  Elder  Semple's  implication  had  stunned 
him  like  a  buffet.  In  his  own  room,  he  sat  down  on 
a  big  oak  chest;  and,  as  he  thought,  his  wrath 
slowly  gathered.  Semple  knew  that  gay  young 
English  officers  were  coming  and  going  about  his 
house,  and  he  had  not  told  him  until  he  feared  they 
would  interfere  with  his  own  plans  for  keeping  Neil 
near  to  him.  The  beautiful  little  Dutch  maiden  had 
been  an  attraction  which  he  was  proud  to  exhibit, 
just  as  he  was  proud  of  his  imported  furniture,  his 
pictures,  and  his  library.  He  remembered  that 
Semple  had  spoken  with  touching  emphasis  of  his 
longing  to  keep  his  last  son  near  home ;  but  must  he 
give  up  his  darling  Katherine  to  further  this  plan  ? 

"I  like  not  it,"  he  muttered.  "God  for  the 
Dutchman  made  the  Dutchwoman.  That  is  the 
right  way ;  but  I  will  not  make  angry  myself  for  so 
much  of  passion,  so  much  of  nothing  at  all  to  the 
purpose.  That  is  the  truth.  Always  I  have  found 
it  so." 

Then  Lysbet,  having  finished  her  second  locking 
up,  entered  the  room.  She  came  in  as  one  wearied 
and  troubled,  and  said  with  a  sigh,  as  she  untied 
her  apron,  "  By  the  girls'  bedside  I  stopped  one 
minute.  Dear  me!  when  one  is  young,  the  sleep  is 
sound." 

"  Well,  then,  they  were  awake  when  I  passed, — 
that  is  not  so  much  as  one  quarter  of  the  hour, — 
talking  and  laughing:  I  heard  them." 

"  And  now  they  are  fast  in  sleep  :  their  heads  are  on 
one  pillow,  and  Katherine's  hand  is  fast  clasped  in 
Joanna's  hand.  The  dear  ones!  Joris,  the  elder's 
words  have  made  trouble  in  my  heart.  What  did 
the  man  mean?  " 

"  Who  can  tell  ?  What  a  man  says,  we  know ;  but 
only  God  understands  what  he  means.  But  I  will 
say  this,  Lysbet,  and  it  is  what  I  mean :  if  Semple 


16  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

has  led  my  daughter  into  the  way  of  temptation, 
then,  for  all  that  is  past  and  gone,  we  shall  be  un- 
friends." 

"Give  yourself  no  kommer  on  that  matter,  Joris. 
Why  should  not  our  girls  see  what  kind  of  people 
the  world  is  made  of?  Have  not  some  of  our  best 
maidens  married  into  the  English  set  ?  And  none 
of  them  were  as  beautiful  as  Katherine.  There  is 
no  harm,  I  think,  in  a  girl  taking  a  few  steps  up 
when  she  puts  on  the  wedding-ring." 

"  Mean  you  that  our  little  daughter  should  marry 
some  English  good-for-nothing?  Look,  then,  I 
would  rather  see  her  white  and  cold  in  the  dead- 
chamber.  In  a  word,  I  will  have  no  Englishman 
among  the  Van  Heemskirks.  There,  let  us  sleep. 
To-night  I  will  speak  no  more." 

But  madam  could  not  sleep.  She  was  quite  sensi- 
ble that  she  had  tacitly  encouraged  Katherine's 
visits  to  Semple  House,  even  after  she  understood 
that  Capt.  Hyde  and  other  fashionable  and  notable 
persons  were  frequent  visitors  there.  In  her  heart, 
she  had  dreamed  such  dreams  of  social  advancement 
for  her  daughters  as  most  mothers  encourage.  Her 
prejudices  were  less  deep  than  those  of  her  husband ; 
or,  perhaps,  they  were  more  powerfully  combated 
by  her  greater  respect  for  the  pomps  and  vanities 
of  life.  She  thought  rather  well  than  ill  of  those 
people  of  her  own  race  and  cla-ss  who  had  made 
themselves  a  place  in  the  .most  exclusive  ranks. 
During  the  past  ten  years,  there  had  been  great 
changes  in  New  York's  social  life:  many  families 
had  become  very  wealthy,  and  there  was' a  rapidly 
growing  tendency  to  luxurious  and  splendid  living. 
Lysbet  Yan  Heemskirk  saw  no  reason  why  her 
younger  children  should  not  move  with  this  current, 
when  it  might  set  them  among  the  growing  aristoc- 
racy of  the  New  World. 

She  tried  to  recall  Katherine's  demeanor  and 
words  during  the  past  day,  and  she  could  find  no 
cause  for  alarm  in  them.  True,  the  child  had  spent 
a  long  time  in  arranging  her  beautiful  hair,  and  she 
had  also  begged  from  her  the  bright  amber  neck- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  17 

lace  that  had  been  her  own  girlish  pride ;  but  what 
then  ?  It  was  so  natural,  especially  when  there  was 
likely  to  be  fine  young  gentlemen  to  see  them.  She 
could  not  remember  having  noticed  any  thing  at  all 
which  ought  to  make  her  uneasy ;  and  what  Lysbet 
did  not  see  or  hear,  she  could  not  imagine. 

Yet  the  past  ten  hours  had  really  been  full  of  dan- 
ger to  the  young  girl.  Early  in  the  afternoon,  some 
hours  before  Joanna  was  ready  to  go,  Katherine  was 
dressed  for  her  visit  to  Semple  House.  It  was  the 
next  dwelling  to  the  Van  Heemskirks'  on  the  river- 
bank,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  but  plainly 
in  sight ;  and  this  very  proximity  gave  the  mother  a 
sense  of  security  for  her  children.  It  was  a  different 
house  from  the  Dutchman's, — one  of  those  great 
square,  plain  buildings,  so  common  in  the  Georgian 
era, — not  at  all  picturesque,  but  finished  inside  with 
handsomely  carved  wood-work,  and  with  mirrors 
and  wall-papering  brought  specially  for  it  from 
England. 

It  stood,  like  Yan  Heemskirk's,  at  the  head  of  a 
garden  sloping  to  the  river;  and  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  pleasant  rivalry  about  these  gardens,  both 
proprietors  having  impressed  their  own  individuality 
upon  their  pleasure-grounds.  Semple's  had  nothing 
of  the  Dutchman's  glowing  prettiness  and  quaint- 
ness, — no  clipped  yews  and  hollies,  no  fanciful 
flower-beds  and  little  Gothic  summer-house.  Its 
slope  was  divided  into  three  fine  terraces,  the  de- 
scent from  one  to  the  other  being  by  broad,  low 
steps ;  the  last  flight  ending  on  a  small  pier,  to  which 
the  pleasure  and  fishing  boats  were  fastened.  These 
terraced  walks  were  finely  shaded  and  adorned  with 
shrubs;  and  on  the  main  one  there  was  a  stone  sun- 
dial, with  a  stone  seat  around  it.  Van  Heemskirk 
did  not  think  highly  of  Semple's  garden ;  and  Sem- 
ple was  sure,  "that,  in  the  matter  o'  flowers  and 
fancy  clippings,  Van  Heemskirk  had  o'er  much  o'  a 
gude  thing."  But  still  the  rivalry  had  always  been 
a  good-natured  one,  and,  in  the  interchange  of 
bulbs  and  seeds,  productive  of  much  friendly  feel- 
ing 


18  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

The  space  between  the  two  houses  was  an  enclosed 
meadow ;  and  this  afternoon,  the  grass  being  warm 
and  dry,  and  full  of  wild  flowers,  Katherine  followed 
the  narrow  foot-path  through  it,  and  entered  the 
Semple  garden  by  the  small  side  gate.  Near  this 
gate  was  a  stone  dairy,  sunk  below  the  level  of  the 

f  round, — a  deliciously  cool,  clean  spot,  even  in  the 
ottest  weather.  Passing  it,  she  saw  that  the  door 
was  open,  and  Madam  Semple  was  busy  among  its 
large,  shallow,  pewter  cream-dishes.  Lifting  her 
dainty  silk  skirts,  she  went  down  the  few  steps,  and 
stood  smiling  and  nodding  in  the  doorway.  Madam 
was  beating  some  rich  curd  with  eggs  and  currants 
and  spices;  and  Katherine,  with  a  sympathetic 
smile,  asked  delightedly, — 

"Cheesecakes,  madam ?  " 

"Just  cheesecakes,  dearie." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad !  Joanna  is  coming,  too,  only  she 
had  first  some  flax  to  unplait.  Wait  for  her,  I  could 
not.  Let  me  fill  some  of  these  pretty  little  patty- 
pans." 

"I'll  do  naething  o'  the  kind,  Katherine.  You'd 
be  spoiling  the  bonnie  silk  dress  you  hae  put  on. 
Go  to  the  house  and  sit  wi'  Mistress  Gordon.  She 
was  asking  for  you  no'  an  hour  ago.  And,  Kather- 
ine, my  bonnie  lassie,  dinna  gie  a  thought  to  one 
word  that  black-eyed  newhew  o'  her's  may  say  to 
you.  He's  here  the  day  and  gane  to-morrow,  and 
the  lasses  that  heed  him  will  get  salr"  hearts  to  them- 
sel's." 

The  bright  young  face  shadowed,  and  a  sudden 
fear  came  into  Madam  Sernple's  heart  as  she  watched 
the  girl  turn  thoughtfully  and  slowly  away.  The 
blinds  of  the  house  were  closed  against  the  after- 
noon sun ;  but  the  door  stood  open,  and  the  wide, 
dim  stairway  was  before  her.  All  was  as  silent  as  if 
she  had  entered  an  enchanted  castle.  And  on  the 
upper  hall  the  closed  doors,  and  the  soft  lights  fall- 
ing through  stained  glass  upon  the  dark,  rich  car- 
pets, made  an  element  of  mystery,  vague  and  charm- 
ful,  to  which  Katherine's  sensitive,  childlike  nature 
was  fully  responsive. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  19 

Slowly  she  pushed  back  a  heavy  mahogany  door, 
and  entered  a  large  room,  whose  richly  wainscoted 
walls,  heavy  friezes,  and  beautifully  painted  ceiling 
were  but  the  most  obvious  points  in  its  general 
magnificence.  On  a  lounge  covered  with  a  design 
done  in  red  and  blue  tent  stitch,  an  elegantly  dressed 
woman  was  sitting,  reading  a  novel.  "The  Girl  of 
Spirit,"  "  The  Fair  Maid  of  the  Inn,"  "  The  Curious 
Impertinent,"  and  other  favorite  tales  of  the  day, 
were  lying  upon  an  oval  table  at  her  side. 

"La,  child!  "  she  cried,  "  come  here  and  give  me 
a  kiss.  So  you  wear  that  sweet-fancied  suit  again. 
You  are  the  most  agreeable  creature  in  it;  though 
Dick  vows  upon  his  sword-hilt  that  you  look  a  hun- 
dred times  more  bewitching  in  the  dress  you  wore 
this  morning." 

"How?  This  morning,  madam?  This  morning 
Capt.  Hyde  did  not  see  me  at  all." 

"  Pray  don't  blush  so,  child ;  though,  indeed,  it 
is  vastly  becoming.  I  do  assure  you  he  saw  you 
this  morning.  He  had  gone  out  early  to  take  the 
air,  and  he  had  a  most  transporting  piece  of  good 
fortune :  for  he  bethought  himself  to  walk  under  the 
great  trees  nearly  opposite  your  house ;  and  when 
you  came  to  the  door,  with  your  excellent  father,  he 
noted  all,  from  the  ribbon  on  your  head  to  the 
buckles  on  your  shoes.  His  talk  now  is  of  nothing 
but  your  short  quilted  petticoat,  and  your  tight 
bodice,  and  beautiful  bare  arms.  Is  that  the  Dutch 
style,  theo,  child  ?  It  must  be  extremely  charming." 

"If  my  mother  you  could  see  in  it !  She  is  beauti- 
ful. And  we  have  a  picture  of  my  grandmother  in 
the  true  Zealand  dress.  Like  a  princess  she  looks, 
my  father  says ;  but,  indeed,  I  have  never  seen  a 
princess." 

"  My  dear,  you  must  allow  me  to  laugh  a  little. 
Will  you  believe  it,  princesses  are  sometimes  very 
vulgar  creatures  ?  I  am  sure,  however,  that  your 
grandmother  was  very  genteel  and  agreeable.  I 
must  tell  you  that  I  have  just  received  my  new 
scarf  from  London.  You  shall  see  it,  and  give  me 
your  opinion." 


20  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  O  madam,  you  are  very  kind !    What  is  it  like  ?  " 

"It  is  all  extravagance  in  mode  and  fancy.  I  be- 
lieve, my  dear,  there  two  hundred  yards  of  edging 
on  it ;  and  it  has  the  most  enchanting  slope  to  the 
shoulders.  I  am  wonderfully  pleased  with  it,  and 
hope  it  will  prove  becoming." 

"  Indeed,  I  think  all  your  suits  are  becoming." 

"  Faith,  child,  I  think  they  are.  I  have  always 
dressed  with  the  most  perfect  intelligence.  I  follow 
all  the  fashions,  and  they  must  be  French.  La,  here 
comes  Richard!  He  is  going  to  ask  you  to  take  a 
sail  on  the  river;  and  I  shall  lend  you  my  new  green 
parasol.  I  do  believe  it  is  the  only  one  in  the 
•country." 

"  I  came  to  sit  with  you,  and  work  with  my 
worsteds.  Perhaps  my  mother — might  not  like  me 
to  go  on  the  river  with — any  one." 

"Pray,  child,  don't  be  affected.  'My  mother — 
might  not  like  me  to  go  on  the  river  with — any 
one ; ' "  and  she  mimicked  Katherineso  cleverly  that 
the  girl's  face  burned  with  shame  and  annoyance. 

But  she  had  no  time  to  defend  herself;  for,  with 
his  cavalry  cap  in  his  hand,  and  a  low  bow,  Capt. 
Hyde  entered  the  room;  and  Katherine's  heart 
throbbed  in  her  cheeks,  and  she  trembled,  and  yet 
•withal  dimpled  into  smiles,  like  clear  water  in  the 
sunshine.  In  a  few  minutes  afterward  she  was  go- 
ing down  the  terrace  steps  with^  him ;  and  he  was 
looking  into  her  face  with  shining  eyes,  and  whis- 
pering the  commonest  words  in  such  an  enchanting 
manner  that  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  her  feet  scarcely 
touched  the  low,  white  steps,  and  she  was  some  sort 
of  glorified  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk,  who  never, 
never,  never  could  be  unhappy  again. 

They  did  not  go  on  the  river.  Capt.  Hyde  hated 
exertion.  His  splendid  uniform  was  too  tight  to 
row  in.  He  did  not  want  a  third  party  near,  in  any 
•capacity.  The  lower  steps  were  shaded  by  great 
water  beeches,  and  the  turf  under  them  was  green 
and  warm.  There  was  the  scent  of  lilies  around,  the 
song  of  birds  above,  the  ripple  of  water  among 
pebbles  at  their  feet.  A  sweeter  hour,  a  lovelier 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  21 

maid,  man  could  never  hope  to  find;  and  Capt. 
Hyde  was  not  one  to  neglect  his  opportunity. 

"Let  us  stay  here,  my  beloved,"  he  whispered. 
"  I  have  something  sweet  to  tell  you.  Upon  mine 
honor,  I  can  keep  my  secret  no  longer." 

The  innocent  child !  Who  could  blame  her  for 
listening  to  it  ?— at  first  with  a  little  fear  and  a  lit- 
tle reluctance,  but  gradually  resigning  her  whole 
heart  to  the  charm  of  his  soft  syllables  and  his 
fervent  manner,  until  she  gave  him  the  promise  he 
begged  for,— love  that  was  to  be  for  him  alone,  love 
for  him  alone  among  all  the  sons  of  men. 

What  an  enchanted  afternoon  it  was!  how  all  too 
quickly  it  fled  away,  one  golden  moment  after  an- 
other! and  what  a  pang  it  gave  her  to  find  at  the 
end  there  must  be  lying  and  deception!  For,  some- 
how, she  had  been  persuaded  to  acquiesce  in  her 
lover's  desire  for  secrecy.  As  for  the  lie,  he  told  it 
With  the  utmost  air  of  candor. 

"Yes,  we  had  a  beautiful  sail;  and  how  enchant- 
ing the  banks  above  here  are!  Aunt,  I  am  at  your 
service  to-morrow,  if  you  wish  to  see  them." 

"  Oh,  your  servant,  captain,  but  I  am  an  indiffer- 
ent sailor ;  and  I  trust  I  have  too  much  respect  for 
myself  and  my  new  frocks,  to  crowd  them  into  a 
river  cockboat!  " 

In  a  few  minutes  Joanim  and  the  elder  came  in. 
He  had  called  for  her  on  his  way  home;  for  he 
liked  the  society  of  the  young  and  beautiful,  and 
there  were  many  hours  in  which  he  thought  Joanna 
fairer  than  her  sister.  Then  tea  was  served  in  a 
pretty  parlor  with  Turkish  walls  and  colored  win- 
dows, which,  being  open  into  the  garden,  framed 
lovely  living  pictures  of  blossoming  trees.  Every 
one  was  eating  and  drinking,  laughing  and  talking: 
so  Katherine's  unusual  silence  was  unnoticed,  ex- 
cept by  the  elder,  who  indeed  saw  and  heard  every 
thing,  and  who  knew  what  he  did  not  see  and  hear 
by  that  kind  of  prescience  to  which  wise  and  obser- 
vant years  attain.  He  saw  that  the  cakes  Katherine 
dearly  loved  remained  upon  her  plate  untasted,  and 
that  she  was  usually,  suspiciously  quiet. 


22  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

After  tea  he  walked  down  the  garden  with  Col. 
Gordon.  The  lily  bed  was  near  the  river;  and  he 
made  the  gathering  of  some  lilies  for  Katherine  an 
excuse  for  going  close  enough  to  the  pier  to  see  ho\v 
the  boat  lay,  and  whether  the  oars  had  been  moved 
from  the  exact  position  in  which  he  had  placed  them. 
And  he  found  the  boat  rocking  at  its  moorings, 
tied  with  his  own  peculiar  knot.  It  told  him  every 
thing,  and  he  was  sincerely  troubled  at  the  dis- 
covery. 

"  Love  and  lying,"  he  mused.  "  I  wonder  why 
they  are  ever  such  thick  friends.  As  for  Dick  Hyde, 
lying  in  his  native  tongue;  but  if  Katherine  Van 
Heeinskirk  has  been  aye  one  thing  above  another,  it 
was  to  tell  the  truth.  It  ought  to  come  easy  to  her 
likewise,  for  I'll  say  the  same  o'  the  hale  nation  o' 
Dutchman.  I  dinna  think  Joris  would  tell  a  lie  to 
save  baith  life  and  fortune." 

He  looked  at  Katherine  almost  sternly  when  he 
went  back  to  the  house;  though  he  gave  her  the 
lilies,  and  bid  her  keep  her  soul  sweet  and  pure  as 
their  white  bells.  She  was  sitting  by  Mistress  Gor- 
don's side,  in  one  of  those  tall-backed  Dutch  chairs, 
whose  very  blackness  and  straightoess  threw  into 
high  relief  her  own  undulating  roundness  and  mo- 
bility, the  glowing  colors  of  her  Indian  silk  gown, 
the  shining  amber  against  her  white  throat,  and  the 
picturesque  curl  and  flow  of  her  fair  hair.  Capt. 
Hyde  sat  opposite,  bending  toward  her;  and  his 
aunt  reclined  upon  the  couch,  and  watched  them 
with  a  singular  look  of  speculation  in  her  half- 
shut  eyes. 

Joanna  was  talking  to  Neil  Semple  in  the  recess 
of  a  window ;  but  Neil's  face  was  white  with  sup- 
pressed anger,  and,  though  he  seemed  to  be  listen- 
ing to  her,  his  eyes — full  of  passion — were  fixed  upon 
Hyde.  Perhaps  the  young  soldier  was  conscious 
of  it;  for  he  occasionally  addressed  some  trivial  re- 
mark to  him,  as  if  to  prevent  Neil  losing  sight  of  the 
advantages  he  had  over  him. 

"The  vera  air  o'  this  room  is  gunpowdery," 
thought  the  elder;  "and  ane  or  the  other  will  be 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  23 

flinging  a  spark  o'  passion  into  it,  and  then  the  deil 
will  be  to  pay.  O'er  many  women  here !  O'er  many 
women  here!  One  is  enough  in  any  house.  I'll 
e'en  tak'  the  lasses  hame  myseP ;  and  I'll  speak  to 
Joris  for  his  daughter,— as  good  now  as  any  other 
time." 

Then  he  said  in  his  blandest  tones,  "Joanna,  my 
dearie,  you'll  hae  to  tell  Neil  the  rest  o'  your  tale  the 
morn  ;  and,  Katherine,  put  awa'  now  that  bit  o'  busy 
idleness,  and  don  your  hoods  and  mantles,  baith  o' 
you.  I'm  going  to  tak'  you  hame,  and  I  dinna 
want  to  get  my  deathe  wi'  the  river  mist." 

"Pray,  sir,"  said  Hyde,  "consider  me  at  your 
service.  I  have  occasion  to  go  into  town  at  once, 
and  will  do  your  duty  to  the  young  ladies  with  in- 
finite pleasure." 

"Much  obliged,  captain,  vera  much  obliged  ;  but 
it  tak's  an  auld  wise-headed,  wise-hearted  man  like 
mysel'  to  walk  safely  atween  twa  bonnie  lasses;  " 
then  turning  to  his  son,  he  added,  "Neil,  my  lad, 
put  your  beaver  on,  and  go  and  find  Bram.  You 
can  tell  him,  as  he  didna  come  to  look  after  his  sis- 
ters afore  this  hour,  he  needna  come  at  a'." 

"Do  you  know,  father,  where  Bram  is  likely  to  be 
found?" 

"Hum-m-m!  As  if  you  didna  know  yoursel'! 
He  will  dootless  be  among  that  crowd  o'  young  wise- 
acres wha  are  certain  the  safety  o'  the  Provinces  is 
in  their  keeping.  It's  the  young  who  ken  a'  things, 
ken  mair  than  councils  and  assemblies,  and  king 
and  parliament,  thegither." 

Col.  Gordon  laughed.  "Never  mind,  sir,"  he 
said,  "  they  let  the  army  alone,  and  the  church:  so 
you  and  I  need  hardly  alarm  ourselves  " — 

"I'm  no  sure  o'  that,  colonel.  When  it  comes  to 
the  army,  it's  a  mere  question  o'  wha  can  strike  the 
hardest  blows;  and  as  to  kirk  matters,  I'm  thinking 
men  had  better  meddle  wi'  the  things  o'  God,  which 
they  canua  change,  than  wi'  those  o'  the  king,  wi' 
which  they  can  wark  a  deal  o'  mischief." 

While  he  was  speaking,  Neil  left  the  room.  The 
little  argument  struck  him  as  a  pretext  and  a.cover, 


24  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  EIBBOX. 

and  he  was  glad  to  escape  from  a  position  which  he 
felt  to  be  both  painful  and  humiliating.  He  was  in  a 
measure  Capt.  Hyde's  host,  and  subject  to  traditions 
regarding  the  duties  of  that  character :  any  display  of 
anger  would  be  derogatory  to  him,  and  yet  how  dif- 
ficult was  restraint!  So  his  father's  interference 
was  a  welcome  one;  and  he  was  reconciled  to  his 
own  disappointment,  when,  looking  back,  he  saw 
the  old  gentleman  slowly  taking  the  road  to  Van 
Heemskirk's,  with  the  pretty  girls  in  their  quilted 
red  hoods,  one  on  each  side  of  him. 

The  elder  was  very  polite  to  his  charges ;  he  never 
once  regretted  to  them  the  loss  of  his  pipe,  and  chat 
with  Col.  Gordon.  But  he  noticed  that  Katherine 
was  silent  and  disappointed,  and  that  she  lingered 
in  her  own  room  after  her  arrival  at  home.  Her  sub- 
sequent pretty  cheerfulness,  her  delight  in  her  lilies, 
her  confiding  claims  upon  her  father's  love,— noth- 
ing in  these  things  deceived  him.  He  saw  beneath 
all  the  fluttering  young  heart,  trembling,  and  yet 
happy  in  the  new,  sweet  feeling,  never  felt  before, 
which  had  come  to  it  that  afternoon. 

But  he  thought  most  girls  had  to  have  this  initia- 
tive: it  prepared  the  way  for  a  soberer  and  more 
lasting  affection.  In  the  end,  Katherine  would  per- 
ceive how  imprudent,  how  impossible,  a  marriage 
with  Capt.  Hyde  must  be;  and  her  heart  would  turn 
back  to  Neil,  who  had  been  her  lover  from  boyhood. 
Yet,  he  reflected,  it  would  be  well  to  have  the  matter 
understood,  and  to  give  it  that  "  possibility  "  which 
is  best  attained  on  a  money  basis. 

So  while  he  and  the  Van  Heemskirks  discussed  the 
matter, — a  little  reluctantly,  he  thought,  on  their 
part, — Katherine  talked  with  Joanna  of  the  Gordons. 
Her  heart  was  so  full  of  her  lover,  that  it  was  a  re- 
lief to  discuss  the  people  and  things  nearest  to  him. 
And  her  very  repression  excited  her.  She  toyed 
with  her  cambric  kerchief  before  the  small  looking- 
glass,  and  imitated  the  fashionable  English  lady 
with  a  piquant  cleverness  that  provoked  low  peals 
of  laughter,  and  a  retrospective  discussion  of  the 
evening,  which  was  merry  enough,  without  being  in 
the  least  ill-natured. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  '25 

But,  oh,  in  what  strange  solitudes  every  separate 
soul  dwells!  When  Katherine  kissed  her  sister,  and 
said  simperingly,  with  the  highest  English  accent, 
"  La,  child,  I  protest  it  has  been  the  most  agreeable 
evening,"  Joanna  had  not  a  suspicion  of  the  joy  and 
danger  that  had  come  to  the  dear  little  one  at  her 
side.  She  was  laughing  softly  with  her,  even  while 
the  fearful  father  stood  at  the  closed  door,  and  lifted 
up  his  tender  soul  in  that  pathetic  petition,  "  Ach, 
mijn  kind  I  mijn  kind !  mijn  liefste  kind !  Almighty 
God  preserve  thee  from  all  sin  and  sorrow !  " 


CHAPTEB  III. 

OEANJE  BOVEN. 

"  The  proverb  holds,  that  to  be  wise  and  love 
Is  hardly  granted  to  the  gods  above." 

"  Sow  an  act,  and  you  reap  a  habit ; 
Sow  a  habit,  and  yon  reap  a  character ; 
Sow  a  character,  and  you  reap  a  destiny." 

"  WELL,  well,  to-day  goes  to  its  forefathers,  like  all 
the  rest ;  and,  as  for  what  comes  after  it,  every  thing 
is  in  the  love  and  counsel  of  the  Almighty  One." 

This  was  Jons  Van  Heemskirk's  last  thought  ere 
he  fell  asleep  that  night,  after  Elder  Semple's  cau- 
tious disclosure  and  proposition.  In  his  calm,  me- 
thodical, domestic  life,  it  had  been  an  "  eventful 
day."  We  say  the  words  often  and  unreflectingly; 
seldom  pausing  to  consider  that  such  days  are  the 
results  which  months,  years,  perchance  centuries, 
have  made  possible.  Thus,  a  long  course  of  reckless 
living  and  reckless  gambling,  and  the  consequent 
urgent  need  of  ready  money,  had  first  made  Capt. 
Hyde  turn  his  thoughts  to  the  pretty  daughter  of 
the  rich  Dutch  merchant. 

Madam  Semple,  in  her  desire  to  enhance  the  im- 
portance of  the  Yan  Heemskirks,  had  mentioned 


26  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

more  than  once  the  handsome  sum  of  ready  money 

fiven  to  each  of  Katherine's  sisters  on  their  wed- 
ing-day ;  and  both  Col.  Gordon  and  his  wife  had 
thought  of  this  sum  so  often,  as  a  relief  to  their 
nephew's  embarrassments,  that  it  seemed  almost  as 
much  Hyde's  property  as  if  he  had  been  born  to  in- 
herit it.  At  first,  Katherine,  as  its  encumbrance, 
had  been  discussed  very  heartlessly, — she  could  be 
left  in  New  York  when  his  regiment  received  march- 
ing orders,  if  it  were  thought  desirable ;  or  she  could 
be  taken  to  England,  and  settled  as  mistress  of  Hyde 
Manor  House,  a  lonely  mansion  on  the  Norfolk  fens, 
which  was  so  rarely  tenanted  by  the  family  that 
Hyde  had  never  been  there  since  liis  boyhood. 

"She  is  a  homespun  little  thing,"  laughed  the 
colonel's  fashionable  wife,  "  and  quite  unfit  to  go 
among  people  of  our  condition.  But  she  adores  you, 
Dick ;  and  she  will  be  passably  happy  with  a  house 
to  manage,  and  a  visit  from  you  when  you  can  spare 
the  time." 

"  Oh,  your  servant,  aunt !  Then  I  am  a  very  indif- 
ferent judge:  for  indeed  she  has  much  spirit  below 
her  gentle  manner;  and,  upon  my  word,  I  think  her 
as  fine  a  creature  as  you  can  find  in  the  best  London 
society.  The  task,  I  assure  you,  is  not  easy.  When 
Katherine  js  won,  then,  in  faith,  her  father  may  be 
in  no  hurry  of  approval.  And  the  child  is  a  fair, 
innocent  child:  I  am  very  uneasy  .to  do  her  wrong. 
The  ninety-nine  plagues  of  an  empty  purse  are  to 
blame  for  all  my  ill  deeds." 

"  Upon  my  word,  Dick,  nothing  can  be  more  com- 
mendable than  your  temper.  You  make  vastly 
proper  reflections,  sir;  but  you  are  in  troubled 
waters,— admit  it,— and  this  little  Dutch-craft  may 
bring  you  respectably  into  harbor." 

It  was  in  this  mood  that  Katherine  and  her  prob- 
able fortune  had  been  discussed ;  and  thus  she  was 
but  one  of  the  events,  springing  from  lives  anterior 
to  her  own,  and  very  different  from  it.  And  causes 
nearly  as  remote  had  prepared  the  way  for  her  ready 
reception  of  Hyde's  homage,  and  the  relaxation  of 
domestic  discipline  which  had  trusted  her  so  often 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  27 

and  so  readily  in  his  society, — causes  which  had 
been  forgotten,  but  which  had  left  behind  them  a 
positive  and  ever-growing  result.  When  a  babe,  she 
was  remarkably  frail  and  delicate ;  and  this  circum- 
stance, united  to  the  fact  of  her  being  the  youngest 
child,  had  made  the  whole  household  very  tender  to 
her,  and  she  had  been  permitted  a  much  larger  por- 
tion of  her  own  way  than  was  usually  given  to  any 
daughter  in  a  Dutch  family. 

Also,  in  her  father's  case,  the  motives  influencing 
his  decision  stretched  backward  through  many  gen- 
erations. None  the  less  was  their  influence  potent 
to  move  him.  In  fact,  he  forgot  entirely  to  reflect 
how  a  marriage  between  his  child  and  Capt.  Hyde 
would  be  regarded  at  that  day ;  his  first  thoughts 
had  been  precisely  such  thoughts  as  would  have  oc- 
curred to  a  Van  Heemskhk  living  two  hundred 
years  before  him.  And  thus,  though  we  hardly  re- 
member the  fact,  it  is  this  awful  solidarity  of  the 
human  family  which  makes  the  third  and  fourth 
generations  heirs  of  their  forefathers,  and  brings 
into  every  life  those  critical  hours  we  call  "  eventful 
days." 

Joris,  however,  made  no  such  reflections.  His  age 
was  not  an  age  inclined  to  analysis,  and  he  was  still 
less  inclined  to  it  from  a  personal  stand-point.  For 
he  was  a  man  of  few,  but  positive,  ideas ;  yet  these 
ideas,  having  once  commended  themselves  to  his 
faith  or  his  intelligence,  were  embraced  with  all  his 
soul.  It  was  this  spirit  which  made  him  deprecate 
even  religious  discussions,  so  dear  to  the  heart  of 
his  neighbor. 

"  I  like  them  not,  elder,"  he  would  say ;  "  of  what 
use  are  they,  then  ?  The  Calvinistic  faith  is  the  true 
faith.  That  is  certain.  Yery  well,  then:  what  is 
true  does  not  require  to  be  examined,  to  see  if  it  be 
true." 

Semple's  communication  regarding  Capt.  Hyde 
and  his  daughter  had  aroused  in  him  certain  feel- 
ings, and  led  him  to  certain  decisions.  He  went  to 
sleep,  satisfied  with  their  propriety  and  justice.  He 
awoke  in  precisely  the  same  mood.  Then  he  dressed, 


28  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

and  went  into  his  garden.  It  was  customary  for 
Katherine  to  join  him  there;  and  he  frequently 
turned,  as  he  went  down  the  path,  to  see  if  she  were 
coming.  He  watched  eagerly  for  the  small  figure  in 
its  short  quilted  petticoat  and  buckled  shoes,  and  the 
fair,  pink  face  shaded  by  the  large  Zealand  hat,  with 
its  long  blue  ribbons  crossed  over  the  back.  But 
this  morning  she  did  not  come.  He  walked  alone  to 
his  lily  bed,  and  stooped  a  little  forlornly  to  admire 
the  tulips  and  crocus-cups  and  little  purple  pansies; 
but  his  face  brightened  when  he  heard  her  calling 
him  to  breakfast,  and  very  soon  he  saw  her  leaning 
over  the  half-door,  shading  her  eyes  with  both  her 
hands,  the  better  to  watch  his  approach. 

Lysbet  was  already  in  her  place;  so  was  Joanna, 
and  also  Bram ;  and  a  slim  black  girl  called  Dinorah 
was  handing  around  fricasseed  chicken  and  venison 
steaks,  hot  fritters  and  johnny-cake;  while  the  rich 
Java  berry  filled  the  room  with  an  aroma  of  tropical 
life,  and  suggestions  of  the  spice-breathing  coast  of 
Sunda.  Joris  and  Bram  discussed  the  business  of 
the  day ;  Katherine  was  full  of  her  visit  to  Semple 
House  the  preceding  evening.  Dinorah  was  no  re- 
straint. The  slaves  Joris  owned,  like  those  of  Abra- 
ham, were  born  or  brought  up  in  his  own  household : 
they  held  to  all  the  family  feelings  with  a  faithful, 
often  an  unreasonable,  tenacity. 

And  yet,  this  morning,  Joris  waited  until  Lysbet 
dismissed  her  handmaid,  before 'he  said  the  words  he 
had  determined  to  speak  ere  he  began  the  work  of 
the  day.  Then  he  put  down  his  cup  with  an  emphasis 
which  made  all  eyes  turn  to  him,  and  said, — 

"  Katryntje,  my  daughter,  call  not  to-day,  nor  call 
not  any  day,  until  I  tell  you  different,  at  Madam 
Semple's.  The  people  who  go  and  come  there,  I 
like  them  not.  They  will  be  no  good  to  you.— Lys- 
bet, what  say  you  in  this  matter  ?  " 

"What  you  say,  I  say,  Joris.  The  father  is  to  be 
obeyed.  When  he  will  not,  the  children  can  not." 

"Joanna,  what  say  you  ?  " 

"I  like  best  of  all  things  to  do  your  pleasure, 
father." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  29 

"  And  you,  Bram  ?  " 

"  As  for  me,  I  think  you  are  very  right.  I  like  not 
those  English  officers, — insolent  and  proud  men,  all 
of  them.  It  would  have  been  a  great  pleasure  to 
me  to  strike  down  the  one  who  yesterday  spurned 
with  his  spurred  boot  our  good  neighbor  Jacob 
Cohen,  for  no  reason  but  that  he  was  a  Jew  "- 

"  Heigho !  go  softly,  Bram.  That  which  burns  thee 
not,  cool  not." 

"  As  he  passed  our  store  door  where  I  stood,  he 
said  '  devil,'  but  he  meant  me." 

"Only  God  knows  what  men  mean. — Now,  then, 
little  one,  thy  will  is  my  will,  is  it  not  ?  " 

She  had  drawn  her  chair  close  to  her  father's,  and 
taken  his  big  hand  between  her  own,  and  was  strok- 
ing and  petting  it  as  he  spoke ;  and,  ere  she  answered, 
she  leaned  her  head  upon  his  breast. 

"Father,  I  like  to  see  the  English  lady;  and  she 
is  teaching  me  the  new  stitch." 

"  ScJioone  Lammetje !  There  are  many  other  things 
far  better  for  thee  to  learn  ;  for  instance,  to  darn  the 
fine  Flemish  lace,  and  to  work  the  beatiful  '  clocks ' 
on  thy  stockings,  and  to  make  perfect  thy  Heidel- 
berg and  thy  Confession  of  Faith.  In  these  things, 
the  best  of  all  good  teachers  is  thy  mother." 

"I  can  do  these  things  also,  father.  The  lady 
loves  me,  and  will  be  unhappy  not  to  see  me." 

"  Then,  let  her  come  here  and  see  thee.  That  will 
be  the  proper  thing.  Why  not  ?  She  is  not  better 
than  thou  art.  Once  thy  mother  has  called  on  her ; 
thou  and  Joanna,  a  few  times  too  often.  Now,  then, 
let  her  call  on  thee.  Always  honor  thyself,  as  well 
as  others.  That  is  the  Dutch  way ;  that  is  the  right 
way.  Mind  what  I  tell  thee." 

His  voice  had  gradually  grown  sterner;  and  he 
gently  withdrew  his  hand  from  her  clasp,  and  rose 
as  a  man  in  a  hurry,  and  pressed  with  affairs  : 
"Come,  Bram,  there  is  need  now  of  some  haste.  The 
'  Sea  Hound  '  has  her  cargo,  and  should  sail  at  the 
noon-tide;  and,  as  for  the  'Crowned  Bears,'  thou 
knowest  there  is  much  to  be  said  and  done.  I  hear 
she  left  most  of  her  cargo  at  Perth  Amboy.  Well, 


30  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

well,  I  have  told  Jerome  Brakel  what  I  think  of  that. 
It  is  his  own  affair." 

Thus  talking,  he  left  the  room;  and  Lysbet  in- 
stantly began  to  order  the  wants  of  the  house  with 
the  same  air  of  settled  pre-occupation.  "  Joanna," 
she  said,  "  the  linen  web  in  the  loom,  go  and  see 
how  it  is  getting  on;  and  the  fine  napkins  must  be 
sent  to  the  lawn  for  the  bleaching,  and  to-day  the 
chambers  must  be  aired  and  swept.  The  best  parlor 
Katherine  will  attend  to." 

Katherine  still  sat  at  the  table ;  her  eyes  were  cast 
down,  and  she  was  arranging — without  a  conscious- 
ness of  doing  so — her  bread  crumbs  upon  her  Delft 
plate.  The  directions  roused  her  from  her  revery, 
and  she  comprehended  in  a  moment  how  decisive  her 
father's  orders  were  intended  to  be.  Yet  in  this  mat- 
ter she  was  so  deeply  interested  that  she  instinctively 
made  an  appeal  against  them. 

"  Mother,  my  mother,  shall  I  not  go  once  more  to 
see  Madam  Gordon  ?  So  kind  she  has  been  to  me! 
She  will  say  I  am  ungrateful,  that  I  am  rude,  and 
know  not  good  manners.  And  I  left  there  the  cush- 
ion I  am  making,  and  the  worsteds.  I  may  go  once, 
and  bring  them  home  ?  Yes,  mother,  I  may  go  once. 
A  young  girl  does  not  like  to  be  thought  ungrateful 
and  rude." 

"  More  than  that,  Katherine ;  a  young  girl  should 
not  like  to  disobey  a  good  father.  You  make  me  to 
feel  astonished  and  sorry.  Here  is  the  key  of  the 
best  parlor;  go  now,  and  wash  carefully  the  fine 
china-ware.  As  to  the  rose-leaves  in  the  big  jars, 
you  must  not  let  a  drop  of  water  touch  them." 

"  My  cushion  and  my  worsteds,  mother!  " 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  send  Dinorah  for  them  with  a 
civil  message.  That  will  be  right." 

So  Lysbet  turned  and  left  the  room.  She  did  not 
notice  the  rebellious  look  on  her  daughter's  face, 
the  lowering  brows,  the  resentment  in  the  glance 
that  followed  her,  the  lips  firmly  set  to  the  mental 
purpose.  "  To  see  her  lover  at  all  risks  " — that  was 
the  purpose;  but  how  best  to  accomplish  it,  was  not 
clear  to  her.  The  ways  of  the  household  were  so  or- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  31 

derly,  so  many  things  brought  the  family  together 
during  the  day,  Lysbet  and  Joanna  kept  such  a  lov- 
ing watch  over  her,  the  road  between  their  own  house 
and  the  Semples'  was  so  straight  and  unscreened, 
and  she  was,  beside,  such  a  novice  in  deception, — 
all  these  circumstances  flashing  at  once  across  her 
mind  made  her,  for  a  moment  or  two,  almost  despair. 

But  she  lifted  the  key  given  her  and  went  to  the 
parlor.  It  was  a  large,  low  room,  with  wainscoted 
walls,  and  a  big  tiled  fireplace  nearly  filling  one  end 
of  it.  The  blinds  were  closed,  but  there  was  enough 
light  to  reveal  its  quaint  and  almost  foreign  charac- 
ter. Great  jars  with  dragons  at  the  handles  stood  in 
the  recesses  made  by  large  oak  cabinets,  black  with* 
age,  and  elaborately  carved  with  a  marvelous  nicety 
and  skill.  The  oval  tables  were  full  of  curious  bits 
of  china,  dainty  Oriental  wicker-work,  exquisite  shells 
on  lacquered  trays,  wonderfully  wrought  workboxes, 
and  fans  and  amulets.  The  odors  of  calamus  and 
myrrh  and  camphor  from  strange  continents  mingled 
with  the  faint  perfume  of  the  dried  rose-leaves  and 
the  scent-bags  of  English  lavender.  1M any  of  these 
rare  and  beautiful  things  were  the  spoils  brought 
from  India  and  Java  by  the  sea-going  Van  Heems- 
kirks  of  past  generations.  Others  had  come  at  long 
intervals  as  gifts  from  the  captains  of  ships  with  whom 
the  house  did  business.  Katherine  had  often  seen 
such  visitors— men  with  long  hair  and  fierce  looks, 
and  the  pallor  of  hot,  moist  lands  below  the  tan  of 
wind  and  sunshine.  It  had  always  been  her  delight 
to  dust  and  care  for  these  various  treasures ;  and  the 
room  itself,  with  its  suggestive  aromas,  was  her  fav- 
orite hiding-place.  Here  she  had  made  her  own 
fairy  tales,  and  built  the  enchanted  castles  which  the 
less  fortunate  children  of  this  day  have  clever  writers 
build  for  them. 

And  at  length  the  prince  of  her  imagination  had 
come!  As  she  moved  about  among  the  strange 
carven  toys  and  beautiful  ornaments,  she  could  think 
only  of  him, — of  his  stately  manner  and.dark,  hand- 
some face.  Simple,  even  rustic,  she  might  be ;  but 
she  understood  that  he  had  treated  her  with  as  much 


32  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

deference  and  homage  as  if  she  had  been  a  princess. 
She  recalled  every  word  he  said  to  her  as  they  sat 
under  the  water  beeches.  More  vividly  still  she  re- 
called the  tender  light  in  his  eyes,  the  lingering  clasp 
of  his  hand,  his  low,  persuasive  voice,  and  that 
nameless  charm  of  fashion  and  culture  which  per- 
haps impressed  her  more  than  any  other  thing. 

Among  the  articles  she  had  to  dust  was  a  square 
Indian  box  with  drawers.  It  had  always  been  called 
"the  writing-box,"  and  it  was  partly  filled  with 
paper  and  other  materials  for  letter-writing.  She 
stood  before  the  open  lid  thoughtfully,  and  a  sudden 
overwhelming  desire  to  send  some  message  of  apol- 
*ogy  to  Mrs.  Gordon  came  into  her  heart.  She  could 
write  pretty  well,  and  she  had  seen  her  mother  and 
Joanna  fold  and  seal  letters ;  and,  although  she  was 
totally  inexperienced  in  the  matter,  she  determined 
to  make  the  effort. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  materials  then  to  help 
her.  The  letter-paper  was  coarse  and  unruled ;  en- 
velopes were  unknown.  She  would  have  to  bring  a 
candle  into  the  room  in  order  to  seal  it ;  and  a  candle 
could  only  be  lit  by  striking  a  spark  from  the  flint 
upon  the  tinder,  and  then  igniting  a  brimstone 
match  from  it, — unless  she  lit  it  at  the  kindled  fire, 
which  would  subject  her  to  questions  and  remon- 
strances. Also,  the  quill  pens  must  be  mended,  and 
the  ink  renewed.  But  all  these  difficulties  were 
overcome,  one  by  one;  and  the  following  note  in- 
trusted to  the  care  of  Diedrich  Becker,  the  old  man 
who  worked  in  the  garden  and  milked  the  cows, — 

To  MISTRESS  COL.  GORDON. 

Honored  Madam,— My  father  forbids  that  I  come  to  see  you. 
He  thinks  you  should  upon  my  mother  call.    That  you  will  judge 
me  to  be  rude  and  ungrateful,  I  fear  very  much.    But  that  is  not 
true.    I  am  unhappy,  indeed.    I  think  all  the  day  of  you. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

KATHERINE  VAN  HEEMSKIRK. 

"The  poor  child,"  said  Mrs.  Gordon,  when  she 
had  read  the  few  anxious  sentences.  "  Look  here, 
Dick;"  and  Dick,  who  was  beating  a  tattoo  upon 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  33 

the  window-pane,  turned  listlessly  and  asked, 
"  Pray,  madam,  what  is  it?  " 

"  Of  all  earthly  things,  a  letter  from  that  poor 
child,  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk.  She  has  more  wit 
than  I  expected.  So  her  father  won't  let  her  come 
to  me.  Why,  then,  upon  my  word,  I  will  go  to  her.'* 

Capt.  Hyde  was  interested  at  once.  He  took  the 
letter  his  aunt  offered,  and  read  it  with  a  feeling  of 
love  and  pity  and  resentment.  "You  will  go  to- 
morrow ? "  he  asked ;  "  and  would  it  be  beyond 
good  breeding  to  accompany  you  ?  " 

"Indeed,  nephew,  I  think  it  would.  But  I  will 
give  your  service,  and  say  every  thing  that  is  agree- 
able. Be  patient:  to-morrow  morning  I  will  call 
upon  our  fair  neighbor." 

The  next  morning  was  damp,  for  there  had  been 
heavy  rain  during  the  night ;  but  Capt.  Hyde  would 
not  let  his  aunt  forget  or  forego  her  promise.  She 
had  determined  to  make  an  unceremonious  visit; 
and  early  in  the  day  she  put  on  her  bonnet  and  pe- 
lisse, and  walked  over  to  the  Van  Heemskirks.  A 
negro  woman  was  polishing  the  brass  ornaments  of 
the  door,  and  over  its  spotless  threshold  she  passed 
without  question  or  delay. 

A  few  minutes  she  waited  alone  in  the  best  parlor, 
charmed  with  its  far-off  air  and  Eastern  scents,  and 
then  Madam  Van  Heemskirk  welcomed  her.  In  her 
heart  she  was  pleased  at  the  visit.  She  thought 

grivately  that  her  Joris  had  been  a  little  too  strict, 
he  did  not  really  see  why  her  beautiful  daughters 
should  not  have  the  society  and  admiration  of  the 
very  best  people  in  the  Province.  And  Mrs.  Gor- 
don's praise  of  Katherine,  and  her  declaration  that 
"  she  was  inconsolable  without  the  dear  creature's 
society,"  seemed  to  the  fond  mother  the  most  proper 
and  natural  of  feelings. 

"Do  but  let  me  see  her  an  hour,  madam,"  she 
said.  "  You  know  my  sincere  admiration.  Is  not 
that  her  voice?  I  vow,  she  sings  to  perfection! 
And  what  a  singular  melody !  Please  to  set  wide  the 
door,  madam." 
"  It  is  the  brave  song  of  the  brave  men  of  Zealand, 


34  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

when  from  the  walls  of  Leyden  they  drove  away  the 
Spaniards ;  "  and  madam  stood  in  the  open  door, 
and  called  to  her  daughter,  "  Well,  then,  Katherine, 
begin  again  the  song  of  '  The  Beggars  of  the  Sea.'  " 

"  We  are  the  Beggars  of  the  Sea,— 
Strong,  gray  Beggars  from  Zealand  we ; 
We  are  fighting  for  liberty : 
Heave  ho !  rip  the  brown  sails  free ! 

Hardy  sons  of  old  Zierikzee, 
Fed  on  the  breath  of  the  wild  North  Sea. 
Beggars  are  kings  if  free  they  be: 
Heave  ho!  rip  the  brown  sails  free! 

'  True  to  the  Wallet,''  whatever  betide; 
'Long  live  the  Gueux,'—t\\e  sea  will  provide 
Graves  for  the  enemy,  deep  and  wide: 
Heave  ho!  rip  the  brown  sails  free! 

Beggars,  but  not  from  the  Spaniard's  hand ; 
Beggars. '  under  the  Cross '  we  stand ; 
Beggars,  for  love  of  the  fatherland: 
Heave  ho!  rip  the  brown  sails  free! 

Now,  if  the  Spaniard  comes  our  way, 
What  shall  we  give  him,  Beggars  gray  ? 
Give  him  a  moment  to  kneel  and  pray: 
Heave  ho !  rip  the  brown  sails  free !  " 

At  the  second  verse,  Mrs.  Gordon  rose  and  said, 
"  Indeed,  madam,  I  find  my  good-breeding  no  match 
against  such  singing.  And  the  tune  is  wonderful : 
it  has  the  ring  of  trumpets,  and  the  roar  of  the 
waves,  iu  it.  Pray  let  us  go  at  ofice  to  your  daugh- 
ters." 

"At  work  are  they;  but,  if  you  mind  not  that, 
you  are  welcome  indeed."  Then  she  led  the  way  to 
the  large  living,  or  dining,  room,  where  Katherine 
stood  at  the  table  cleaning  the  silver  flagons  and 
cups  and  plates  that  adorned  the  great  oak  side- 
board. 

Joanna,  who  was  darning  some  fine  linen,  rose 
and  made  her  respects  with  perfect  composure.  She 
had  very  little  liking,  either  for  Mrs.  Gordon  or  her 
nephew;  and  many  of  their  ways  appeared  to  her 
utterly  foolish,  and  not  devoid  of  sin.  But  Kather- 
ine trembled  and  blushed  with  pleasure  and  excite- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  35 

ment,  and  Mrs.  Gordon  watched  her  with  a  certain 
kind  of  curious  delight.  Her  hair  was  combed 
backward,  plaited,  and  tied  with  a  ribbon  ;  her  arms 
bare  to  the  shoulders,  her  black  bodice  and  crimson 
petticoat  neatly  shielded  with  a  linen  apron ;  and 
poised  in  one  hand  she  held  a  beautiful  silver  flagon 
covered  with  raised  figures,  which  with  patient  labor 
she  had  brought  into  shining  relief. 

"Oh,"  cried  the  visitor,  "that  is  indeed  a  piece  of 
plate  worth  looking  at!  Surely,  child,  it  has  a  his- 
tory,— a  romance  perhaps.  La,  there  are  words  also 
upon  it!  Pray,  madam,  be  so  obliging  as  to  read 
the  inscription ;  "  and  madam,  blushing  with  pride 
and  pleasure,  read  it  aloud, — 

" '  Hoog  van  Moed, 
Klein  van  G9ed, 
Een  zwaard  in  de  hand: 
Is  't  vvapen  van  Gelderland." 

"  Dutch,  I  vow!  Surely,  madam,  it  is  very  sonor- 
ous and  emphatic;  vastly  different,  I  do  assure  you, 
from  the  vowelled  idioms  of  Italy  and  Spain.  Pray, 
madam,  be  so  civil  as  to  translate  the  words  for  me." 

"  '  Of  spirit  great, 
Of  small  estate, 
A  sword  in  the  hand : 
Such  are  the  arms  of  Guelderland.' 

"You  must  know,"  continued  Madam  Van  Heems- 
kirk, "  that  my  husband's  father  had  a  brother,  who, 
in  a  great  famine  in  Guelderland,  filled  one  hundred 
flat  boats  with  wheat  of  Zealand, — in  all  the  world  it 
is  the  finest  wheat,  that  is  the  truth,— and  help  he 
sent  to  those  who  were  ready  to  perish.  And  when 
came  better  days,  then,  because  their  hearts  were 
good,  they  gave  to  their  preserver  this  flagon.  Joris 
Van  Heemskirk,  my  husband,  sets  on  it  great  store, 
that  is  so." 

Conversation  in  this  channel  was  easily  main- 
tained. Madam  Van  Heemskirk  knew  the  pedigree 
or  the  history  of  every  tray  or  cup,  and  in  reminis- 
cence and  story  an  hour  passed  away  very  pleasantly 
indeed.  Joanna  did  not  linger  to  listen.  The  visitor 


36  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

did  not  touch  her  liking  or  her  interest;  and  besides, 
as  every  one  knows,  the  work  of  a  house  must  go  on, 
no  matter  what  guest  opens  the  door.  But  Kath- 
erine  longed  and  watched  and  feared.  Surely  her 
friend  would  not  go  away  without  some  private 
token  or  message  for  her.  She  turned  sick  at  heart 
when  she  rose  as  if  to  depart.  But  Mrs.  Gordon 
proved  herself  equal  to  the  emergency;  for,  after 
bidding  madam  an  effusive  good-by,  she  turned  sud- 
denly and  said,  "  Pray  allow  your  daughter  to  show 
me  the  many  ornaments  in  your  parlor.  The  glimpse 
I  had  has  made  me  very  impatient  to  see  them  more 
particularly." 

The  request  was  one  entirely  in  sympathy  with  the 
mood  and  the  previous  conversation,  ancl  madam 
was  pleased  to  gratify  it;  also  pleased,  that,  having 
fully  satisfied  the  claims  of  social  life,  she  could 
with  courtesy  leave  her  visitor's  further  entertain- 
ment with  Katherine,  and  return  to  her  regular 
domestic  cares.  To  her  the  visit  had  appeared  to  be 
one  of  such  general  interest,  that  she  never  sus- 
pected any  motive  beneath  or  beyond  the  friendli- 
ness it  implied.  Yet  the  moment  the  parlor-door 
had  been  shut,  Mrs.  Gordon  lifted  Katherine's  face 
between  her  palms,  and  said, — 

"  Faith,  child,  I  am  almost  run  off  my  head  with 
all  the  fine  things  I  have  listened  to  for  your  sake. 
Do  you  know  who  sent  me  here  ?  " 

"I  think,  madam,  Capt.  Hyde." 

"  Psha!  Why  don't  you  blush,  and  stammer,  and 
lie  about  it  ?  'I  think,  madam,  Capt.  Hyde,' "  mim- 
icking Katherine's  slight  Dutch  accent.  "  'Tis  to 
be  seen,  miss,  that  you  understand  a  thing  or  two. 
Now,  Capt.  Hyde  wishes  to  see  you :  when  can  you 
oblige  him  so  much  ?  " 

"I  know  not.  To  come  to  Madam  Semple's  is 
forbidden  me  by  my  father." 

"It  is  on  my  account.  I  protest  your  father  is 
very  uncivil."  ' 

"  Madam,  no ;  but  it  is  the  officers :  many  come 
and  go,  and  he  thinks  it  not  good  for  me  to  meet 
them." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  37 

"  Oh,  indeed,  miss,  it  is  very  hard  on  Capt  Hyde, 
who  is  more  in  love  than  is  reasonable!  Has  your 
father  forbidden  you  to  walk  down  your  garden  to 
the  river  bank?  " 

'No,  madam." 

'  Then,  if  Capt.  Hyde  pass  about  two  o'clock,  he 
might  see  you  there  ?  " 

"  At  two  I  am  busy  with  Joanna." 

'  La,  child  !    At  three  then  ?  " 

'Three?" 

The  word  was  a  question  more  than  an  assent;  but 
Mrs.  Gordon  assumed  the  assent,  and  did  not  allow 
Katherine  to  contradict  it.  "And  I  promised  to 
bring  him  a  token  from  you, — he  was  exceedingly 
anxious  about  that  matter :  give  me  the  ribbon  from 
your  hair." 

"  Only  last  week  Joanna  bought  it  for  me.  She 
would  surely  ask  me, '  Where  is  your  new  ribbon  ?  '" 

"  Tell  her  that  you  lost,  it." 

"  How  could  I  say  that  ?    It  would  not  be  true." 

The  girl's  face  was  so  sincere,  that  Mrs.  Gordon 
found  herself  unable  to  ridicule  the  position.  "  My 
dear,"  she  answered,  "you  are  a  miracle.  But, 
among  all  these  pretty  things,  is  there  nothing  you 
can  send  ?  " 

Katherine  looked  thoughtfully  around.  There 
was  a  small  Chinese  cabinet  on  a  table :  she  went  to 
it,  and  took  from  a  drawer  a  bow  of  orange  ribbon. 
Holding  it  doubtfully  in  her  hand,  she  said,  "  My 
St.  Nicholas  ribbon." 

"  La,  miss,  I  thought  you  were  a  Calvinist !  What 
are  you  talking  of  the  saints  for  ?  " 

"  St.  Nicholas  is  our  saint,  our  own  saint;  and  on 
his  day  we  wear  orange.  Yes,  even  my  father  then, 
on  his  silk  cap,  puts  an  orange  bow.  Orange  is  the 
Dutch  color,  you  know,  madam." 

"Indeed,  child,  I  do  not  know;  but,  if  so,  then  it 
is  the  best  color  to  send  to  your  true  love." 

"  For  the  Dutch,  orange  always.  On  the  great 
days  of  the  kirk,  my  father  puts  blue  with  it.  Blue 
is  the  color  of  the  Dutch  Calvinists." 

"  Make  me  thankful  to  learn  so  much.  Then  when 


38  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Councillor  Van  Heemskirk  wears  his  blue  and  orange, 
he  says  to  the  world,  '  I  am  a  Dutchman  and  a  Cal- 
vinist'?" 

"  That  is  the  truth.  For  the  Vaderland  and  the 
Moeder-Kerk  he  wears  their  colors.  The  English, 
too,  they  will  have  their  own  color  ?  " 

"  La,  my  dear,  England  claims  every  color!  But, 
indeed,  even  an  English  officer  may  now  wear  an 
orange  favor;  for  I  remember  well  when  our  Prin- 
cess Anne  married  the  young  Prince  of  Orange.  Oh, 
I  assure  you  the  House  of  Nassau  is  close  kin  to  the 
House  of  Hanover!  And  when  English  princesses 
marry  Dutch  princes,  then  surely  English  officers 
may  marry  Dutch  maidens.  Your  bow  of  orange 
ribbon  is  a  very  proper  love-knot." 

"  Indeed,  madam,  I  never " 

"  There,  there!  I  can  really  wait  no  longer.  Some 
one  is  already  in  a  fever  of  impatience.  'Tis  a 
quaintly  pretty  room :  I  am  happy  to  have  seen  its 
curious  treasures.  Good-by  again,  child ;  my  serv- 
ice once  more  to  your  mother  and  sister;  "  and  so, 
with  many  compliments,  she  passed  chatting  and 
laughing  out  of  the  house. 

Katherine  closed  the  best  parlor,  and  lingered  a 
moment  in  the  act.  She  felt  that  she  had  permitted 
Mrs.  Gordon  to  make  an  appointment  for  her  lover, 
and  a  guilty  sense  of  disobedience  made  bitter  the 
joy  of  expectation.  For  absolute  tEuthf ulness  is  the 
foundation  of  the  Dutch  character;  and  an  act  of 
deception  was  not  only  a  sin  according  to  Katherine's 
nature,  but  one  in  direct  antagonism  to  it.  As  §he 
turned  away  from  the  closed  parlor,  she  felt  quite 
inclined  to  confide  everything  to  her  sister  Joanna; 
but  Joanna,  who  had  to  finish  the  cleaning  of  the 
silver,  was  not  in  that  kind  of  a  temper  which  in- 
vites confidence;  and  indeed,  Katherine,  looking 
into  her  calm,  pre-occupied  face,  felt  her  manner  to 
be  a  reproof  and  a  restraint. 

So  she  kept  her  own  counsel,  and  doubted  and 
debated  the  matter  in  her  heart  until  the  hands  of 
the  great  clock  were  rising  quickly  to  the  hour  of 
fate.  Then  she  laid  down  her  fine  sewing,  and  said, 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  39 

"  Mother,  I  want  to  walk  in  the  garden.  When  I 
come  back,  my  task  I  will  finish." 

"  That  is  well.  Joanna,  too,  has  let  her  work  fall 
down  to  her  lap.  Go,  both  of  you,  and  get  the  fine 
air  from  the  river." 

This  was  not  what  Katherine  wished  ;  but  nothing 
but  assent  was  possible,  and  the  girls  strolled  slowly 
down  the  box-bordered  walks  together.  Madam 
Yan  Heemskirk  watched  them  from  the  window  for 
a  few  minutes.  A  smile  of  love  and  pleasure  was  on 
her  fine,  placid  face ;  but  she  said  with  a  sigh,  as  she 
turned  away, — 

"Well,  well,  if  it  is  the  will  of  God  they  should 
not  rise  in  the  world,  one  must  be  content.  To  the 
spider  the  web  is  as  large  as  to  the  whale  the  whole 
wide  sea;  that  is  the  truth." 

Joanna  was  silent ;  she  was  thinking  of  her  own 
love  affairs:  but  Katherine,  doubtful  of  herself, 
thought  also  that  her  sister  suspected  her.  When 
they  reached  the  river-bank,  Joanna  perceived  that 
the  lilacs  were  in  bloom,  and  at  their  root  the  beau- 
tiful auriculas;  and  she -stooped  low  to  inhale  their 
strange,  nameless,  earthy  perfume.  At  that  moment 
a  boat  rowed  by  with  two  English  soldiers,  stopped 
just  below  them,  and  lay  rocking  on  her  oars.  Then 
an  officer  in  the  stern  rose  and  looked  toward  Kath- 
erine, who  stood  in  the  full  sunlight  with  her  large 
hat  in  her  hand.  Before  she  could  make  any  sign 
of  recognition,  Joanna  raised  herself  from  the 
auriculas  and  stood  beside  her  sister;  yet  in  the 
slight  interval  Katherine  had  seen  Capt.  Hyde  fling 
back  from  his  left  shoulder  his  cloak,  in  order  to 
display  the  bow  of  orange  ribbon  on  his  breast. 

The  presence  of  Joanna  baffled  and  annoyed  him; 
but  he  raised  his  beaver  with  a  gallant  grace,  and 
Joanna  dropped  a  courtesy,  and  then,  taking  Kath- 
erine's  hand,  turned  toward  home  with  her,  saying, 
"  That  is  the  boat  of  Capt.  Hyde.  What  comes  he 
this  way  for  ?  " 

"The  river  way  is  free  to  all,  Joanna."  And 
Joanna  looked  sharply  at  her  sister,  and  remained 
silent. 


40  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

But  Katherine  was  inerry  as  a  bird.  She  chattered 
of  this  and  of  that,  and  sang  snatches  of  songs,  old 
and  new.  And  all  the  time  her  heart  beat  out  its 
own  glad  refrain,  "  My  bow  of  orange  ribbon,  my 
bow  of  orange  ribbon ! "  Her  needle  went  tft  her 
thoughts,  and  her  thoughts  went  to  melody ;  for,  as 
she  worked,  she  sang, — 

"  Will  you  have  a  pink  knot  ? 

Is  it  blue  you  prize  ? 
One  is  like  a  fresh  rose, 

One  is  like  your  eyes. 
No,  the  maid  of  Holland, 

For  her  own  true  love, 
Ties  the  splendid  orange 

Orange  still  above! 
O  oranje  boven  I  * 

Orange  still  above. 

Will  you  have  the  white  knot? 

No,  it  is  too  cold. 
Give  me  splendid  orange, 

Tint  of  flame  and  gold ; 
Kich  and  glowing  orange, 

For  the  heart  I  love ; 
Under,  white  and  pink  and  blue ; 

Orange  still  above! 
O  oranje  boven  ! 

Orange  still  above ! " 

"How  merry  you  sing,  mijn  Katrijntje !  Like  a 
little  bird  you  sing.  What,  then,  is  it  ?  " 

"A  pretty  song  made  by  the  schoolmaster,  mijn 
moeder.  '  Oranje  Boven '  the  name  is." 

"  That  is  a  good  name.  Your  father  I  will  remind 
to  have  it  painted  over  the  door  of  the  summer- 
house." 

"  There  already  are  two  mottoes  painted, — '  Peace- 
ful is  my  garden.'  and  '  Contentment  is  my  lot.'  " 

"Well,  then,  there  is  always  room  for  two  more 
good  words,  is  there  not?"  And  Katherine  gayly 
sung  her  answer,— 

"  Tie  the  splendid  orange, 

Orange  still  above! 
O  oranje  boren .' 
Orange  still  above." 

*  Pronounced  O-ran-ya  boven. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

JOY  IN  THE  HOUSE. 

11  The  trifles  of  our  daily  lives, 
The  common  things  scarce  worth  recall, 
Whereof  no  visible  trace  survives,— 
These  are  the  mainsprings,  after  all." 

"  The  little  waves  make  the  large  ones,  and  are  of  the  same 
pattern." 

"  HONORED  gentleman,  when  will  you  pay  me  my 
money  ?  " 

The  speaker  was  an  old  man,  dressed  in  a  black 
coat  buttoned  to  the  ankles,  and  a  cap  of  silk  and 
fur,  from  beneath  which  fell  a  fringe  of  gray  hair. 
His  long  beard  was  also  gray,  and  he  leaned  upon  an 
ivory  staff  carved  with  many  strange  signs.  The  in- 
quiry was  addressed  to  Capt.  Hyde.  He  paid  no  at- 
tention whatever  to  it,  but,  gayly  humming  a  stave 
of  "  Marlbrook,"  watched  the  crush  of  wagons  and 
pedestrians,  in  order  to  find  a  suitable  moment  to 
cross  the  narrow  street. 

"  Honored  gentleman,  when  will  you  pay  me  my 
moneys  ?  " 

The  second  inquiry  elicited  still  less  attention; 
for,  just  as  it  was  made,  Neil  Semple  came  out  of  the 
City  Hall,  and  his  appearance  gave  the  captain  a 
good  excuse  for  ignoring  the  unpleasant  speaker. 

"Faith,  Mr.  Semple,"  he  cried,  "you  came  in  an 
excellent  time.  I  am  for  Fraunce's  Tavern,  and  a 
chop  and  a  bottle  of  Madeira.  I  shall  be  vastly  glad 
of  your  company." 

The  grave  young  lawyer,  with  his  hands  full  of 
troublesome-looking  papers,  had  little  of  the  air  of  a 
boon  companion  ;  and,  indeed,  the  invitation  was  at 
once  courteously  declined. 

"  I  have  a  case  on  in  the  Admiralty  Court,  cap- 
tain," he  answered,  "  and  so  my  time  is  not  my  own. 
It  belongs,  I  may  say,  to  the  man  who  has  paid  me 
good  money  for  it." 


42  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  Lawyer  Semple  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Cohen,  at  your  service,  sir." 

"  Capt.  Hyde  owes  me  one  hundred  guineas,  with 
the  interests,  since  the  fifteenth  day  of  last  Decem- 
ber. He  will  not  hear  me  when  I  say  to  him,  '  Pay 
me  my  moneys : '  perhaps  he  will  listen,  if  you  speak 
for  me." 

"  If  you  are  asking  my  advice  in  the  way  of  busi- 
ness, you  know  my  office-door,  Cohen ;  if  in  the  way 
of  friendship,  I  may  as  well  say  at  once,  that  I  never 
name  friendship  and  money  in  the  same  breath. 
Good-day,  gentlemen.  I  am  in  something  of  a  hurry, 
as  you  may  understand."  Cohen  bowed  low  in  re- 
sponse to  the  civil  greeting;  Capt.  Hyde  stared  in- 
dignantly at  the  man  who  had  presumed  to  couple 
one  of  his  Majesty's  officers  with  a  money-lender  and 
a  Jew. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  make  you  more  expenses,  cap- 
tain;" and  Cohen,  following  the  impulse  of  his 
anxiety,  laid  his  hand  upon  his  debtor's  arm.  Hyde 
turned  in  a  rage,  and  flung  off  the  touch  with  a  pas- 
sionate oath.  Then  the  Jew  left  him.  There  was 
neither  anger  nor  impatience  visible  in  his  face  or 
movements.  He  cast  a  glance  up  at  the  City  Hall, 
— an  involuntary  appeal,  perhaps,  to  the  justice  sup- 
posed to  inhabit  its  chambers, — and  then  he  walked 
slowly  toward  his  store  and  home. 

Both  were  under  one  roof, — a  two-storied  building,' 
in  the  lower  part  of  Pearl  Street,  dingy  and  unat 
tractive  in  outward  appearance,  but  crowded  in  it** 
interior  with  articles  of  beauty  and  worth, — Flemish 
paintings  and  metal  work,  Venetian  glasses  and  vel- 
vets, Spanish  and  Moorish  leather  goods,  silverware, 
watches,  jewelry,  etc.  The  window  of  the  large  room 
in  which  all  \vas  stored  was  dim  with  cobwebs,  and 
there  was  no  arrangement  of  the  treasures.  They 
were  laid  in  the  drawers  of  the  great  Dutch  presses 
and  cabinets,  or  packed  in  boxes,  or  hung  against 
the  walls. 

At  the  back  of  the  store,  there  was  a  small  sitting- 
room,  and  behind  it  a  kitchen,  built  in  a  yard  which 
was  carefully  boarded  up.  A  narrow  stairway  near 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  43 

the  front  of  the  store  led  to  the  apartments  above. 
They  were  three  in  number.  One  was  a  kind  of  him- 
ber-room ;  a  second,  Cohen's  sleeping-room ;  and 
the  largest,  at  the  back  of  the  house,  belonged  to 
the  Jew's  grandchild  Miriam.  There  was  one  serv- 
ant in  the  family,  an  old  woman  who  had  come  to 
America  with  Jacob.  She  spoke  little  English,  and 
she  lived  in  complete  seclusion  in  her  kitchen  and 
yard.  As  far  as  Jacob  Cohen  was  concerned,  he  pre- 
served an  Oriental  reticence  about  the  women  of  his 
household:  he  never  spoke  of  them,  and  he  was 
never  seen  in  their  company.  It  was  seldom  they 
went  abroad ;  when  they  did  so,  it  was  early  in  the 
morning,  and  usually  to  the  small  synagogue  in  Mill 
Street. 

He  soon  recovered  the  calmness  which  had  been 
lost  during  his  unsatisfactory  interview  with  Capt. 
Hyde.  "  A  wise  man  frets  not  himself,  for  the  folly 
of  a  fool ;  "  and,  having  come  to  this  decision,  he  en- 
tered his  house  with  the  invocation  for  its  peace  and 
prosperity  on  his  lips.  A  party  of  three  gentlemen 
were  examining  his  stock:  they  were  Gov.  Clinton 
and  his  friends  Golden  and  Belcher. 

"Cohen,"  said  Clinton,  "you  have  many  fine 
things  here;  in  particular,  this  Dutch  cabinet,  with 
heavy  brass  mountings.  Send  it  to  my  residence. 
And  that  Venetian  mirror  with  the  silver  frame  will 
match  the  silver  sconces  you  sold  me  at  the  New 
Hear.  I  do  not  pretend  to  be  a  judge,  but  these 
things  are  surely  extremely  handsome.  Pray,  sir, 
let  us  see  the  Moorish  leather  that  William  Walton 
has  reserved  for  his  new  house.  I  hear  you  are  to 
have  the  ordering  of  the  carpets  and  tapestries.  You 
will  make  money,  Jacob  Cohen." 

"  Your  Excellency  knows  best.  I  shall  make  my 
just  profits, — no  more,  no  more." 

"  Yes,  yes;  you  have  many  ways  to  make  profits, 
I  hear.  All  do  well,  too." 

"When  God  pleases,  it  rains  with  every  wind, 
your  Excellency." 

Then  there  was  a  little  stir  in  the  street, — that  pe- 
culiar sense  of  something  more  than  usual,  which 


44  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

can  make  itself  felt  in  the  busiest  thoroughfare,— 
and  Golden  went  to  the  door  and  looked  out.  Joris 
Van  Heemskirk  was  just  passing,  and  his  walk  was 
something  quicker  than  usual. 

"  Good-day  to  you,  councillor.  Pray,  sir,  what  is 
to  do  at  the  wharf  ?  I  perceive  the  bustle  comes 
thence." 

"At  your  service,  Councillor  Golden.  At  the 
wharf  there  is  good  news.  '  The  Great  Christopher  ' 
has  come  to  anchor, — Capt.  Batavius  de  Tries.  So  a 
good-morrow,  sir;  "  and  Joris  lifted  his  beaver,  and 
proceeded  on  his  way  to  Murray's  Wharf. 

Bram  was  already  on  board.  His  hands  were 
clasped  across  the  big  right  shoulder  of  Batavius, 
who  stood  at  the  mainmast,  giving  orders  about  his 
cargo.  He  was  a  large  mau,  with  the  indisputable 
air  of  a  sailor  from  strange  seas,  familiar  with  the 
idea  of  solitude,  and  used  to  absolute  authority.  He 
loved  Bram  after  his  own  fashion,  but  his  vocabulary 
of  affectionate  words  was  not  a  large  one.  Bram, 
however,  understood  him ;  he  had  been  quite  satis- 
fied with  his  short  and  undemonstrative  greeting, — 

"  Thee,  Bram  ?  Good!  How  goes  it  ?  " 

The  advent  of  Joris  added  a  little  to  the  enthusi- 
asm of  the  meeting.  Joris  thoroughly  liked  Bata- 
vius, and  their  hands  slipped  into  each  other's  with 
a  mighty  grasp  almost  spontaneously.  After  some 
necessary  delay,  the  three  men,,  left  the  ship  to- 
.  gether.  There  was  quite  a  crowd  on  the  wharf. 
Some  were  attracted  by  curiosity;  others,  by  the 
hope  of  a  good  job  on  the  cargo;  others,  again,  not 
averse  to  a  little  private  bargaining  for  any  curious 
or  valuable  goods  the  captain  of  the  "  Great  Chris- 
topher "  had  for  sale.  Cohen  was  among  the  latter; 
but  he  had  too  much  intelligence  to  interfere  with  a 
family  party,  especially  as  he  heard  Joris  say  to  the 
crowd  with  a  polite  authority,  "  Make  way,  friends, 
make  way.  When  a  man  is  off  a  three-years'  cruise, 
for  a  trifle  he  should  not  be  stopped." 

Joanna  had  had  a  message  from  her  lover,  and 
she  was  watching  for  his  arrival.  There  was  no  se- 
crecy in  her  love-affairs,  and  it  was  amid  the  joy  and 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  45 

smiles  of  the  whole  household  that  she  met  her  af- 
fianced husband.  They  were  one  of  those  loving, 
sensible  couples,  for  whom  it  is  natural  to  predict  a 
placid  and  happy  life ;  and  the  first  words  of  Bata- 
vius  seemed  to  assure  it, — 

"  My  affairs  have  gone  well,  Joanna,  as  they  gen- 
erally do ;  and  now  I  shall  build  the  house,  and  we 
shall  be  married." 

Joanna  laughed.  "  I  shall  just  say  a  word  or  two, 
also,  about  that,  Batavius." 

"Come,  come,  the  word  or  two  was  said  so  long 
ago.  Have  you  got  the  pretty  Chinese  has  I  sent 
from  the  ship  ?  and  the  Javanese  cabaya,  and  the 
sweatmeats,  and  the  golden  pins  ?  " 

"  All  of  them  I  have  got.  Much  money,  Batavius, 
they  must  have  cost." 

"Well,  well,  then!  There  is  enough  left.  A  man 
does  not  go  to  the  African  coast  for  nothing. — Katri- 
jntje,  mijn  meisje,  what's  the  matter  now,  that  you 
never  come  once  ?  " 

Katherine  was  standing  at  the  open  window,  ap- 
parently watching  the  honey-bees  among  the  locust 
blooms,  but  really  perceiving  something  far  beyond 
them, — a  boat  on  the  river  at  the  end  of  the  garden. 
She  could  not  have  told  how  she  knew  it  was  there ; 
but  she  saw  it,  saw  it  through  the  intervening  space, 
barred  and  shaded  by  many  trees.  She  felt  the  slow 
drift  of  the  resting  oars,  and  the  fascination  of  an 
eager,  handsome  face  lifted  to  the  lilac-bushes  which 
hedged  the  bank.  So  the  question  of  Batavius 
touched  very  lightly  her  physicial  consciousness.  A 
far  sweeter,  a  far  more  peremptory  voice  called  her ; 
but  she  answered, — 

"  There  is  nothing  the  matter,  Batavius.  I  am 
well,  I  am  happy.  And  now  I  will  go  into  the  gar- 
den to  make  me  a  fine  nosegay." 

"Three  times  this  week,  into  the  garden  you  have 
gone  to  get  a  nosegay;  and  then  all  about  it  you 
forget.  It  will  be  better  to  listen  to  Batavius,  I 
think.  He  will  tell  us  of  the  strange  countries  where 
he  has  been,  and  of  the  strange  men  and  women." 

"  For  you,  Joanna,  that  will  be  pleasant ;  but "— 


46  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBttUN. 

"  For  you  also.  To  listen  to  Batavius  is  to  learn 
something." 

"Well,  that  is  the  truth.  But  to  me  all  this  talk 
is  not  very  interesting.  I  will  go  into  the  garden ;  " 
and  she  walked  slowly  out  of  the  door,  and  stopped 
or  stooped  at  every  flower-bed,  while  Joanna  watched 
her. 

"The  child  is  now  a  woman.  It  will  be  a  lover 
next,  Joanna." 

"There  is  a  lover  already;  but  to  any  thing  he 
says,  Katrijntje  listens  not.  It  is  at  her  father's 
knee  she  sits,  not  at  the  lover's." 

"  It  will  be  Eem  Verplanck  ?  And  what  will  come 
of  it?" 

"No,  it  is  Neil  Semple.  To-night  you  will  see. 
He  comes  in  and  talks  of  the  Assembly  and  the 
governor,  and  of  many  things  of  great  moment. 
But  it  is  Katherine  for  all  that.  A  girl  has  not  been 
in  love  four  years  for  nothing.  I  can  see,  too,  that 
my  father  looks  sad,  and  my  mother  says  neither 
yes  nor  no  in  the  matter." 

"  The  Semples  are  good  business  managers.  They 
are  also  rich,  and  they  approve  of  good  morals  and 
the  true  religion.  Be  content,  Joanna.  Many  roads 
lead  to  happiness  beside  the  road  we  take.  Now, 
let  us  talk  of  our  own  affairs." 

It  was  at  this  moment  Katherine  turned  to  observe 
if  she  were  watched.  No :  Batayms  and  Joanna  had 
gone  away  from  the  window,  and  for  a  little  while 
she  would  not  be  missed.  She  ran  rapidly  to  the  end 
of  the  garden,  and,  parting  the  lilac-bushes,  stood 
flushed  and  panting  on  the  river-bank.  There  was  a 
stir  of  oars  below  her.  It  was  precisely  as  she  had 
known  it  would  be.  Capt.  Hyde's  pretty  craft  shot 
into  sight,  and  a  few  strokes  put  it  at  the  landing- 
stair.  In  a  moment  he  was  at  her  side.  He  took 
her  in  his  arms ;  and,  in  spite  of  the  small  hands 
covering  her  blushing  face,  he  kissed  her  with  pas- 
sionate affection. 

"  My  darling,  my  charmer!  "  he  said.  "  How  you 
have  tortured  me !  By  my  soul,  I  have  been  almost 
distracted.  Pray,  now,  let  me  see  thy  lovely  face." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  47 

He  lifted  it  in  his  hands  and  kissed  it  again,— kissed 
the  rosy  cheeks,  and  white  dropped  eyelids,  and  red 
smiling  mouth  ;  vowed  with  every  kiss  that  she  was 
the  most  adorable  of  women,  and  protested,  "  on  his 
honor  as  a  soldier,"  that  he  would  make  her  his 
wife,  or  die  a  bachelor  for  her  sake. 

And  who  can  Iplame  a  young  girl  if  she  listens  and 
believes,  when  listening  and  believing  mean  to  her 
perfect  happiness  ?  Not  women  who  have  ever  stood, 
trembling  with  love  and  joy,  close  to  the  dear  one's 
heart.  If  they  be  gray-haired,  and  on  the  very  shoal 
of  life,  they  must  remember  still  those  moments  of 
delight,— the  little  lane,  the  fire-lit  room,  the  drifting 
boat,  that  is  linked  with  them.  If  they  be  young  and 
lovely,  and  have  but  to  say,  "  It  was  yesterday,"  or, 
"  It  was  last  week,"  still  better  they  will  understand 
the  temptation  that  was  too  great  for  Katherine  to 
overcome. 

And,  as  yet,  nothing  definite  had  been  said  to  her 
about  Neil  Semple,  and  the  arrangement  made  for 
her  future.  Joris  had  intended  every  day  to  tell  her, 
and  every  day  his  heart  had  failed  him.  He  felt  as 
if  the  entire  acceptance  of  the  position  would  be 
giving  his  little  daughter  away.  As  long  as  she  was 
not  formally  betrothed,  she  was  all  his  own ;  and 
Neil  could  not  use  that  objectionable  word  "  my  "  in 
regard  to  her.  Lysbet  was  still  more  averse  to  a 
decisive  step.  She  had  had  "dreams"  and  "pre- 
sentiments "  of  unusual  honor  for  Katherine,  which 
she  kept  with  a  superstitious  reverence  in  her  mem- 
ory;  and  the  girl'"s  great  beauty  and  winning  man- 
ners had  fed  this  latent  expectancy.  But  to  see  her 
the  wife  of  Neil  Semple  did  not  seem  to  be  any  real- 
ization of  her  ambitious  hopes.  She  had  known 
Neil  all  his  life ;  and  she  could  not  help  feeling,  that, 
if  Katherine's  fortune  lay  with  him,  her  loving 
dreams  were  all  illusions  and  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment. 

Besides,  with  a  natural  contradiction,  she  was  a 
little  angry  at  Neil's  behavior.  He  had  been  coming 
to  their  house  constantly  for  a  month  at  least;  every 
opportunity  of  speaking  to  Katherine  on  his  own  be- 


48  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

half  had  been  given  him,  and  he  had  not  done  so. 
He  was  too  indifferent,  or  he  was  too  confident;  and 
either  feeling  she  resented.  But  she  judged  Neil 
wrongly.  He  was  an  exceedingly  cautious  young 
man ;  and  he  felt  what  the  mother  could  not  per- 
ceive,— a  certain  atmosphere  about  the  charming 
girl  which  was  a  continual  repression  to  him.  In 
the  end,  he  determined  to  win  her,  win  her  entirely, 
heart  and  hand  ;  therefore  he  did  not  wish  to  embar- 
rass his  subsequent  wooing  by  having  to  surmount 
at  the  outset  the  barrier  of  a  premature  "  no. "  And, 
as  yet,  his  jealousy  of  Capt.  Hyde  was  superficial  and 
intermitting;  it  had  not  entered  his  mind  that  an 
English  officer  could  possibly  be  an  actual  rival  to 
him.  They  were  all  of  them  notoriously  light  of 
love,  and  the  Colonial  beauties  treated  their  homage 
with  as  light  a  belief;  only  it  angered  and  pained 
him  that  Katherine  should  suffer  herself  to  be  made 
the  pastime  of  Hyde's  idle  hours. 

On  the  night  of  De  Yries's  return,  there  was  a 
great  gathering  at  Van  Heemskirk's  house.  No 
formal  invitations  were  given,  but  all  the  friends  of 
the  family  understood  that  it  would  be  so.  Joris 
kept  on  his  coat  and  ruffles  and  fine  cravat,  Batavius 
wore  his  blue  broadcloth  and  gilt  buttons,  and 
Lysbet  and  her  daughters  were  in  their  kirk  dresses 
of  silk  and  camblet.  It  was  an  exquisite  summer 
evening,  and  the  windows  looking  into  the  garden 
were  all  open ;  so  also  was  the  door ;  and  long  before 
sunset  the  stoop  was  full  of  neighborly  men,  smoking 
with  Joris  and  Batavius,  and  discussing  Colonial  and 
commercial  affairs. 

In  the  living-room  and  the  best  parlor,  their  wives 
were  gathered, — women  with  finely  rounded  forms, 
very  handsomely  clothed,  and  all  busily  employed  in 
the  discussion  of  subjects  of  the  greatest  interest  to 
them.  For  Joanna's  marriage  was  now  to  be  freely 
talked  over,— the  house  Batavius  was  going  to  build 
described,  the  linen  and  clothing  she  had  prepared 
examined,  and  the  numerous  and  rich  presents  her 
lover  had  brought  her  wondered  over,  and  com- 
mented upon. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  49 

Conspicuous  in  the  happy,  chattering  company, 
Lysbet  Van  Heemskirk  bustled  about,  in  the  very 
whitest  and  stiffest  of  lace  caps;  making  a  sugges- 
tion, giving  an  opinion,  scolding  a  careless  servant, 
putting  out  upon  the  sideboard  Hollands,  Geneva, 
and  other  strong  waters,  and  ordering  in  from  the 
kitchen  hot  chocolate  and  cakes  of  all  kinds  for  the 
women  of  the  company.  Very  soon  after  sundown, 
Elder  Semple  and  madam  his  wife  arrived;  and  the 
elder,  as  usual,  made  a  decided  stir  among  the  group 
which  he  joined. 

"No,  no,  councillor,"  he  said,  in  answer  to  the  in- 
vitation of  Joris  to  come  outside.  "  No,  no,  I'll  not 
risk  my  health,  maybe  my  vera  life,  oot  on  the  stoop 
after  sunset.  'Warm,'  do  you  say?  Vera  warm, 
and  all  the  maur  for  being  warm.  My  medical  man 
thinks  I  hae  a  tendency  to  fever,  and  there's  four- 
fourths  o'  fever  in  every  inch  o'  river  mist,  that  a 
man  breathes  these  warm  nights." 

"Well,  then,  neighbors,  we'll  go  inside,"  said 
Joris.  "Clean  pipes,  and  a  snowball,*  or  a  glass  of 
Hollands,  will  not,  I  think,  be  amiss." 

The  movement  was  made  among  some  jokes  and 
laughter;  and  they  gathered  near  the  hearthstone, 
where,  in  front  of  the  unlit  hickory  logs,  stood  a  tall 
blue  jar  filled  with  feathery  branches  of  fennel  and 
asparagus.  But,  as  the  jar  of  Virginia  was  passed 
round,  Lysbet  looked  at  Dinorah,  and  Dinorah  went 
to  the  door  and  called,  "Baltus;"  and  in  a  minute 
or  two  a  little  black  boy  entered  with  some  hot  coals 
on  a  brass  chafing-dish,  and  the  fire  was  as  solemnly 
and  silently  passed  round  as  if  it  were  some  occult 
religious  ceremony. 

The  conversation  interrupted  by  Semple's  entrance 
was  not  resumed.  It  had  been  one  dealing  out  un- 
sparing and  scornful  disapproval  of  Gov.  Clinton's 
financial  methods,  and  Clinton  was  known  to  be  a 
personal  friend  of  Semple's.  But  the  elder  would 
perhaps  hardly  have  appreciated  the  consideration, 
if  he  had  divined  it;  for  he  dearly  loved  an  argu- 
ment, and  had  no  objections  to  fight  for  his  own  side 
*  Snowball,— gin  mixed  stiff  with  sugar. 


50  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

single-handed.  In  fact,  it  was  so  natural  for  htm  to 
be  "in  opposition,"  that  he  could  not  bear  to  join  the 
general  congratulation  to  De  Vries  on  his  fortunate 
voyage. 

"  You  were  lang  awa',  captain,"  was  his  opening 
speech.  "  It  would  tak'  a  deal  o'  gude  fortune  to 
mak'  it  worth  your  while  to  knock  around  the  high 
seas  for  three  years  or  mair." 

"  Well,  look  now,  elder,  I  didn't  come  home  with 
empty  hands.  I  have  always  been  apt  to  get  into 
the  place  where  gold  and  good  bargains  were  go- 
ing." 

"  Hum-m-m !    You  sailed  for  Rotterdam,  I  think?" 

"  That  is  true ;  from  Rotterdam  I  went  to  Batavia, 
and  then  to  the  coast  of  Africa.  The  African  cargo 
took  me  to  the  West  Indies.  From  Kingston  it  was 
easy  to  St.  Thomas  and  Surinam  for  cotton,  and  then 
to  Curafoa  for  dyeing- woods  and  spices.  The  '  Great 
Christopher '  took  luck  with  her.  Every  cargo  was 
a  good  cargo." 

"I'll  no  be  certain  o'  that,  captain.  I  would  hae 
some  scruples  mysel '  anent  buying  and  selling  men 
and  women  o'  any  color.  We  hae  no  quotations  from 
the  other  world,  and  it  may  be  the  Almighty  holds 
his  black  men  at  as  high  a  figure  as  his  white  men. 
I'm  just  speculating,  you  ken.  I  hae  a  son--my 
third  son,  Alexander  Semple  o'  Boston — wha  has 
made  money  on  the  Africans.  I  hae  told  him,  likewise, 
that  trading  in  wheat  and  trading  in  humanity  may 
hae  ethical  differences;  but  every  one  settles  his  ain 
bill,  and  I'll  hae  enough  to  do  to  secure  mysel'." 

Batavius  was  puzzled;  and  at  the  word  "ethical 
differences,"  his  big  brown  hand  was  "  in  the  hair" 
at  once.  He  scratched  his  head  and  looked  doubt- 
fully at  Semple,  whose  face  was  peculiarly  placid 
and  thoughtful  and  kindly. 

"Men  must  work,  elder,  and  these  blacks  won't 
work  unless  thev  are  forced  to.  I,  who  am  a  bap- 
tized Christian,  have  to  do  my  duty  in  this  life ;  and, 
as  for  pagans,  they  must  be  made  to  do  it.  I  am 
myself  a  great  lover  of  morality,  and  that  is  what  I 
think.  Also,  you  may  read  in  the  Scriptures,  that 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON  51 

St.  Paul  says  that  if  a  man  will  not  work,  neither 
shall  he  eat." 

"St.  Paul  dootless  kent  a'  about  the  question  o' 
forced  labor,  seeing  that  he  lived  when  baith  white 
and  black  men  were  sold  for  a  price.  However,  sil- 
ler in  the  hand  answers  a'  questions ;  and  the  domi- 
nie made  a  vera  true  observe  one  sabbath,  when  he 
said  that  the  Almighty  so  ordered  things  in  this 
warld  that  orthodoxy  and  good  living  led  to  wealth 
and  prosperity." 

"  That  is  the  truth,"  answered  Justice  Van  Gaas- 
beeck :  "Holland  is  Holland  because*she  has  the  true 
faith.  You  may  see  that  in  France  there  is  anarchy 
and  bloodshed  and  great  poverty:  that  is  because 
they  are  Koman  Catholics." 

It  was  at  this  moment  Katherine  came  and  stood 
behind  her  father's  chair.  She  let  her  hand  fall 
down  over  his  shoulder,  and  he  raised  his  own  to 
clasp  it.  "  What  is  it,  then,  mijn  Katrijntje  Tdeintje ?  " 

"It  is  to  dance.  Mother  says 'yes, 'if  thou  art 
willing." 

"Then  I  say  'yes,'  also." 

For  a  moment  she  laid  her  cheek  against  his ;  and 
the  happy  tears  came  into  his  eyes,  and  he  stroked 
her  face,  and  half-reluctantly  let  Batavius  lead  her 
away.  For,  at  the  first  mention  of  a  dance,  Batavius 
had  risen  and  put  down  his  pipe ;  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes he  was  triumphantly  guiding  Joanna  in  a  kind 
of  mazy  waltzing  movement,  full  of  spirit  and 
grace. 

At  that  day  there  were  but  few  families  of  any 
wealth  who  did  not  own  one  black  man  who  could 
play  well  upon  the  violin.  Joris  possessed  two; 
and  they  were  both  on  hand,  putting  their  own.  gay 
spirits  into  the  fiddle  and  the  bow.  And  oh,  how 
happy  were  the  beating  feet  and  the  beating  hearts 
that  went  to  the  stirring  strains!  It  was  joy  and 
love  and  youthen  melodious  motion.  The  old  looked 
on  with  gleaming,  sympathetic  eyes;  the  young  for- 
got that  they  were  mortal. 

Then  there  was  a  short  pause;  and  the  ladies 
sipped  chocolate,  and  the  gentlemen  sipped  some- 


52  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

thing  a  little  stronger,  and  a  merry  ripple  of  conver- 
sation and  of  hearty  laughter  ran  with  the  clink  of 
glass  and  china,  and  the  scraping  of  the  fiddle-bows. 

"  Miss  Katern  Van  Heemskirk  and  Mr.  Neil  Sem- 
ple  will  now  hab  de  honor  of  'bliging  de  company 
wid  de  French  minuet," 

At  this  announcement,  made  by  the  first  negro 
violin,  there  was  a  sudden  silence;  and  Neil  rose, 
and  with  a  low  bow  offered  the  tips  of  his  fingers  to 
the  beautiful  girl,  who  rose  blushing  to  fake  them. 
The  elder  deliberately  turned  his  chair  around,  in 
order  to'r  watch  the  movement  comfortably;  and 
there  was  an  inexpressible  smile  of  satisfaction  on 
his  face  as  his  eyes  followed  the  young  people. 
Neil's  dark,  stately  beauty  was  well  set  off  by  his 
black  velvet  suit  and  powdered  hair  and  gold 
buckles.  And  no  lovelier  contrast  could  have  faced 
him  than  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk:  so  delicately 
fresh,  so  radiantly  fair,  she  looked  in  her  light  blue 
robe  and  white  lace  stomacher,  with  a  pink  rose  at 
her  breast.  There  were  shining  amber  beads  around 
her  white  throat,  and  a  large  amber  comb  fastened 
her  pale  brown  hair.  A  gilded  Indian  fan  was  in  her 
hand,  and  she  used  it  with  all  the  pretty  airs  she  had 
so  aptly  copied  from  Mrs.  Gordon. 

Neil  had  a  natural  majesty  in  his  carriage;  Kath- 
erine supplemented  it  with  a  natural  grace,  and  with 
certain  courtly  movements  whicjti,  made  the  little 
Dutch  girls,  who  had  never  seen  Mrs.  Gordon  practic- 
ing them,  admire  and  wonder.  As  she  was  in  the  very 
act  of  making  Neil  a  profound  courtesy,  the  door 
opened,  and  Mrs.  Gordon  and  Capt.  Hyde  entered. 
The  latter  took  in  the  exquisite  picture  in  a  moment ; 
and  there  was  a  fire  of  jealousy  in  his  heart  when  he 
saw  Neil  lead  his  partner  to  her  seat,  and  with  the 
deepest  respect  kiss  her  pretty  fingers  ere  he  re- 
signed them. 

But  he  was  compelled  to  control  himself,  as  he  was 
ceremoniously  introduced  to  Councillor  and  Madam 
Van  Heemskirk  by  his  aunt,  who  with  a  charming  ef- 
fusiveness declared  "  she  was  very  -uneasy  to  intrude 
so  far;  but,  in  faith,  councillor,"  she  pleaded,  "I  am 


TEE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  53 

but  a  woman,  and  I  find  the  news  of  a  wedding  be- 
yond my  nature  to  resist." 

There  was  something  so  frank  and  persuasive 
about  the  elegant  stranger,  that  Joris  could  not  re- ' 
fuse  the  courtesy  she  asked  for  herself  and  her  neph- 
ew. And,  having  yielded,  he  yielded  with  entire 
truth  and  confidence.  He  gave  his  hand  to  his  visi- 
tors, and  made  them  heartily  welcome  to  join  in 
his  household  rejoicing.  True,  Mrs.  Gordon's  per- 
suasive words  were  ably  seconded  by  causes  which 
she  had  probably  calculated.  The  elder  and  Madam 
Semple  were  present,  and  it  would  have  been  impos- 
sible for  Joris  to  treat  their  friends  rudely.  Bram 
was  also  another  conciliating  element,  for  Capt. 
Hyde  was  on  pleasant  speaking  terms  with  him  ;  and, 
as  yet,  even  Neil's  relations  were  at  least  those  of 
presumed  friendship.  Also,  the  Van  Gaasbeecksand 
others  present  were  well  inclined  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  a  woman  so  agreeable,  and  an  of- 
.ficer  so  exceptionally  handsome  and  genteel.  Be- 
sides which,  Joris  was  himself  in  a  happy  and  genial 
mood  :  he  had  opened  his  house  and  his  heart  to  his 
friends;  and  he  did  not  leel  at  that  hour  as  if  he 
could  doubt  any  human  being,  or  close  his  door 
against  even  the  stranger  and  the  alien  who  wished 
to  rejoice  with  him. 

Elder  Semple  was  greatly  pleased  at  his  friend's 
complaisance.  He  gave  Joris  full  credit  for  his  vic- 
tory over  his  rational  prejudices,  and  he  did  his  very 
best  to  make  the  concession  a  pleasant  event.  In  this 
effort  he  was  greatly  assisted  by  Mrs.  Gordon  :  she  set 
herself  to  charm  Van  Heemskirk,  as  she  had  set  her- 
herself  to  charm  Madam  Van  Heemskirk  on  her  pre- 
vious visit;  and  she  succeeded  so  well,  that,  when 
"Sir  Roger  de  Coverly  "  was  called,  Joris  rose,  of- 
fered her  his  hand,  and,  to  the  delight  of  every  one 
present,  led  the  dance  with  her. 

It  was  a  little  triumph  for  the  elder;  and  he  sat* 
smiling,  and  twirling   his  fingers,  and  thoroughly 
enjoying  the  event.    Indeed,  he  was  so  interested  in 
listening  to  the  clever  way  in   which  "  the   bonnie 
woman  flattered  Van  Heemskirk,"  that  he  was  quite 


54  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

oblivious  of  the  gathering  wrath  in  his  son's  face, 
and  the  watchful  gloom  in  Bram's  eyes,  as  the  two 
men  stood  together,  jealously  observant  of  Capt. 
Hyde's  attentions  to  Katherine.  Without  any  words 
spoken  on  the  subject,  there  was  an  undestobd  com- 
pact between  them  to  guard  the  girl  from  auy  private 
conversation  with  him  ;  and  yet  two  men  with  hearts 
full  of  suspicion  and  jealousy  were  not  a  match  for 
one  man  with  a  heart  full  of  love.  In  a  moment,  in  the 
interchange  of  their  hands  in  a  dance,  Katherine 
clasped  tightly  a  little  note,  and  unobserved  hid  it 
behind  the  rose  at  her  breast. 

But  nothing  is  a  wonder  in  love,  or  else  it  would 
have  been  amazing  that  Joanna  did  not  notice  the 
rose  absent  from  her  sister's  dress  after  Capt.  Hyde's 
departure;  nor  yet  that  Katherine,  ere  she  went  to 
rest  that  night,  kissed  fervently  a  tiny  bit  of  paper 
which  she  hid  within  the  silver  clasps  of  her  Kirk 
Bible.  The  loving  girl  thought  it  no  wrong  to  put  it 
there :  she  even  hoped  that  some  kind  of  blessing  or 
sanction  might  come  through  such  sacred  keeping; 
and  she  went  to  sleep  whispering  to  herself, — 

"Happy  lam.  Me  he  loves;  me  he  loves;  me  only 
he  loves ;  me  forever  he  loves  /" 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  STRIFE. 

"All  pleasure  must  be  bought  at  the  price  of  pain.    The  true 
pay  the  price  before  they  enjoy  it ;  the  false,  after  they  enjoy  it.:' 

"  The  future  does  not  come  from  before  to  meet  us,  but  conies 
streaming  up  from  behind,  over  our  heads." 

"  Who  is  free  ?    The  man  who  masters  his  own  self. 
"Who  is  powerful  ?    He  who  can  control  his  passions." 

"MY  dear  Dick,  I  am  exceedingly  concerned  to 
find  you  in  such  a  taking, — a  soldier  who  has  known 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  55 

some  of  the  finest  women  of  the  day,  moping  about 
a  Dutch  schoolgirl!  Pshaw!  Don't  be  a  fool.  I 
had  a  much  better  opinion  of  you." 

"  Tis  a  kind  of  folly  that  runs  in  the  family,  aunt. 
I  have  heard  that  you  preferred  Col.  Gordon  to  a 
duke." 

"  Now,  sir,  you  are  ill-natured.  Dukes  are  not 
uncommon :  a  man  of  sense  and  sensibility  is  a 
treasure.  Make  me  grateful  that  I  secured  one." 

"  Lend  me  your  wit,  then,  for  the  same  consum- 
mation. I  assure  you  that  I  consider  Katherine 
Van  Heemskirk  a  treasure  past  belief.  Confess, 
now,  that  she  was  the  loveliest  of  creatures  last 
night." 

"  She  has  truly  a  fine  complexion,  and  she  dances 
with  all  the  elegance  imaginable.  I  know,  too,  that 
she  sings  to  perfection,  and  has  most  agreeable  and 
obliging  manners." 

"  And  a  heart  which  abounds  in  every  tender  feel- 
ing." 

"  Oh,  indeed,  sir!  I  was  not  aware  that  you  knew 
her  so  well." 

"  T  know  that  I  love  her  beyond  every  thing,  and 
that  I  am  likely  so  to  love  her  all  my  life." 

"Upon  my  word,  Dick,  love  may  live  an  age— if 
you  don't  marry  it." 

"  Let  me  make  you  understand  that  I  wish  to 
marry  it." 

"Oh,  indeed,  sir!  Then  the  church  door  stands 
open.  Go  in.  I  suppose  the  lady  will  oblige  you  so 
far." 

"Pray,  my  dear  aunt,  talk  sensibly.  Give  me 
your  advice;  you  know  already  that  I  value  it. 
What  is  the  first  step  to  be  taken  ?  " 

"  Go  and  talk  with  her  father.  I  assure  you,  no 
real  progress  can  be  made  without  it.  The  girl  you 
think  worth  asking  for;  but  it  is  very  necessary  for 
you  to  know  what  fortune  goes  with  her  beauty." 

"  If  her  father  refuse  to  give  her  to  me  "— 

"  That  is  not  to  be  thought  of.  I  have  seen  that 
some  of  ftie  best  of  these  Dutch  families  are  very 
willing  to  be  friendly  with  us.  You  come  of  a  noble 


56  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

race.  You  wear  your  sword  with  honor.  You  are 
not  far  from  the  heritage  of  a  great  title  and  estate. 
If  you  ask  for  her  fortune,  you  offer  far  above  its 
equivalent,  sir." 

"I  have  heard  Mr.  Neil  Semple  say  that  Van 
Heemskirk  is  a  great  stickler  for  trade,  and  that  he 
hates  every  man  who  wears  a  sword." 

"  You  have  heard  more  than  you  need  listen  to. 
I  talked  to  the  man  an  hour  last  night.  He  is  as 
honest  as  a  looking-glass,  and  I  read  him  all 
through  with  the  greatest  ease.  I  am  sure  that  he 
has  a  heart  very  tender,  and  devoid  of  anger  or 
prejudice  of  any  kind." 

"  That  is  to  be  seen.  I  have  discovered  already 
that  men  who  can  be  very  gentle  can  also  be  very 
rough.  But  this  suspense  is  intolerable,  and  not  to 
be  borne.  I  will  go  and  end  it.  Pray,  what  is  the 
hour  ?  " 

"  It  is  about  three  o'clock ;  a  very  suitable  hour,  I 
think." 

"  Then  give  me  your  good  wishes." 

"I  shall  be  impatient  to  hear  the  result." 

"  In  an  hour  or  two  " — 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  am  not  so  foolish  as  to  expect  you  in 
an  hour  or  two !  When  you  have  spoken  with  the 
father,  you  will  doubtless  go  home  with  him  and 
drink  a  dish  of  tea  with  your  divinity.  1  can  imag- 
ine your  unreasonable  felicity,  Dick,— seas  of  milk, 
and  ships  of  amber,  and  all  sails  set  for  the  desired 
haven !  I  know  it  all,  so  I  hope  you  will  spare  me 
every  detail, — except,  indeed,  such  as  relate  to 
pounds,  shillings,  and  pence." 

It  was  a  very  hot  afternoon  ;  and  Yan  Heemskirk's 
store,  though  open  to  the  river-breezes,  was  not  by 
any  means  a  cool  or  pleasant  place.  Bram  was  just 
within  the  doors,  marking  "Boston"  on  a  number 
of  flour-barrels,  which  were  being  rapidly  trans- 
ferred to  a  vessel  lying  at  the  wharf.  He  \vas  ab- 
sorbed and  hurried  in  the  matter,  and  received  the 
visitor  with  rather  a  cool  courtesy ;  but  whether  the 
coolness  was  of  intention  or  pre-occupatfbn,  Capt. 
Hyde  did  not  perceive  it.  He  asked  for  Councillor 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  57 

Van  Heemskirk,  and  was  taken  to  his  office,  a  small 
room,  intensely  warm  and  sunny  at  that  hour  of  the 
day. 

"Your  servant,  captain." 

"  Yours,  most  sincerely,  councillor.  It  is  a  hot 
day." 

"That  is  so.  We  come  near  to  midsummer.  Is 
there  any  thing  I  can  oblige  you  in,  sir  ?  " 

Joris  asked  the  question  because  the  manner  of 
the  young  man  struck  him  as  uneasy  and  con- 
strained ;  and  he  thought,  "  Perhaps  he  has  come  to 
borrow  money."  It  was  notorious  that  his  Majesty's 
officers  gambled,  and  wore  often  in  very  great  need 
of  it;  and,  although  Joris  had  not  any  intention  of 
risking  his  gold,  he  thought  it  as  well  to  bring  out 
the  question,  and  have  the  refusal  understood  be- 
fore unnecessary  politeness  made  it  more  difficult. 
He  was  not,  therefore,  astonished  when  Capt.  Hyde 
answered, — 

"Sir,  you  can  indeed  oblige  me,  and  that  in  a 
matter  of  the  greatest  moment." 

"  If  money  it  be,  captain,  at  once  I  may  tell  you, 
that  I  borrow  not,  and  I  lend  not." 

"  Sir,  it  is  not  money, — in  particular." 

"So?" 

"  It  is  your  daughter  Katherine." 

Then  Joris  stood  up,  and  looked  steadily  at  the 
suitor.  His  large,  amiable  face  had  become  in  a 
moment  hard  and  stern ;  and  the  light  in  his  eyes 
was  like  the  cold,  sharp  light  that  falls  from  drawn 
steel. 

"  My  daughter  is  not  for  you  to  name.  Sir,  it  is  a 
wrong  to  her,  if  you  speak  her  name." 

"By  my  honor,  it  is  not!  Though  I  come  of  as 
good  family  as  any  in  England,  and  may  not  un- 
reasonably hope  to  inherit  its  earldom,  I  "do  assure 
you,  sir,  I  sue  as  humbly  for  your  daughter's  hand 
as  if  she  were  a  princess?' 

"Your  family!  Talk  not  of  it.  King  nor  kaiser 
do  I  count  better  men  than  my  own  fore-goers. 
Like  to  like,  that  is  what  I  say.  Your  wife  seek, 
captain,  among  your  own  women." 


58  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"I  protest  that  I  love  your  daughter.  I  wish 
above  all  things  to  make  her  my  wife." 

"  Many  things  men  desire,  that  they  come  not 
near  to.  *  My  daughter  is  to  another  man  promised." 

"  Look  you,  councillor,  that  would  be  monstrous. 
Your  daughter  loves  me." 

Jons  turned  white  to  the  lips.  "  It  is  not  the 
truth,"  he  answered  in  a  slow,  husky  voice. 

"  By  the  sun  in  heaven,  it  is  the  truth !    Ask  her." 

"  Then  a  great  scoundrel  are  you,  unfit  with  hon- 
est men  to  talk.  Ho!  Yes,  your  sword  pull  from  its 
scabbard.  Strike.  To  the  heart,  strike  me.  Less 
wicked  would  be  the  deed  than  the  thing  you  have 
done." 

"  In  faith,  sir,  'tis  no  crime  to  win  a  woman's 
love." 

"  No  crime  it  would  be  to  take  the  guilders  from 
my  purse,  if  my  consent  was  to  it.  But  into  my 
house  to  come,  and  while  warm  was  yet  my  wel- 
come, with  my  bread  and  wine  in  your  lips,  to  take 
my  gold,  a  shame  and  a  crime  would  be.  My  daugh- 
ter than  gold  is  far  more  precious." 

There  was  something  very  impressive  in  the 
angry  sorrow  of  Joris.  It  partook  of  his  own  mag- 
nitude. Standing  in  front  of  him.  it  was  impossible 
for  Capt.  Hyde  not  to  be  sensible  of  the  difference 
between  his  own  slight,  nervous  frame,  and  the  fair, 
strong  massiveness  of  Van  Heem-skirk;  and,  in  a 
dim  way,  he  comprehended  that  this  physical  differ- 
ence was  onlj7  the  outward  and  visible  sign  of  a 
mental  and  moral  one  quite  as  positive  and  un- 
changeable. 

Yet  he  persevered  in  his  solicitation.  With  a 
slight  impatience  of  manner  he  said,  "  Do  but  hear 
me,  sir.  I  have  done  nothing  contrary  to  the  cus- 
tom of  people  in  my  condition,  and  I  assure  you 
that  with  all  my  soul  I  love  your  daughter." 

"Love!  So  talk  you.  You  see  a  girl  beautiful, 
sweet,  and  innocent.  Your  heart,  greedy  and  cov- 
etous, wants  her  as  it  has  wanted,  doubtless,  many 
others.  For  yourself  only,  you  seek  her.  And  what 
is  it  you  ask  then  ?  That  she  should  give  up  for  you 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  59 

her  father,  mother,  home,  her  own  faith,  her  own 
people,  her  own  country, — the  poor  little  one ! — to  a 
cold,  cheerless  land  among  strangers,  alone  in  the 
sorrows  and  pains  that  to  all  women  come.  Love! 
In  God's  name,  what  know  you  of  love  ?  " 

"  No  man  can  love  her  better." 

"What  say  you?  How,  then,  do  I  love  her?  I 
who  carried  her — mijn  witte  lammetje* — in  these  arms 
before  yet  she  could  say  to  me,  'Fader!'"  His 
wrath  had  been  steadily  growing,  in  spite  of  the 
mist  in  his  eyes  and  the  tenderness  in  his  voice ;  and 
suddenly  striking  the  desk  a  ponderous  blow  with 
his  closed  hand,  he  said  with  an  unmistakable  pas- 
sion, "  My  daughter  you  shall  not  have.  God  in 
heaven  to  himself  take  her  ere  such  sorrow  come  to 
her  and  me! " 

"  Sir,  you  are  very  uncivil;  but  I  am  thankful  to 
know  so  much  of  your  mind.  And,  to  be  plain  with 
you,  I  am  determined  to  marry  your  daughter  if  I 
can  compass  the  matter  in  any  way.  It  is  now, 
then,  open  war  between  us;  and  so,  sir,  your  serv- 
ant." 

"  Stay.  To  me  listen.  Not  one  guilder  will  I  give 
to  my  daughter,  if  "— 

"To  the  devil  with  your  guilders!  Dirty  money 
made  in  dirty  traffic  "— 

"You  lie."' 

"Sir,  you  take  an  infamous  advantage.  You 
know,  that,  being  Katherine's  father,  I  will  not 
challenge  you." 

"  Christus ! "  roared  Joris,  "challenge  me  one 
hundred  times.  A  fool  I  would  be  to  answer  you. 
Life  my  God  gave  to  me.  Well,  then,  only  my  God 
shall  from  me  take  it.  See  you  these  arms  and 
hands  ?  In  them  you  will  be  as  the  child  of  one 
year.  Ere  beyond  my  reason  you  move  me,  go ! " 
and  he  strode  to  the  door  and  flung  it  open  with  a 
passion  that  made  every  one  in  the  store  straighten 
themselves,  and  look  curiously  toward  the  two  men. 

White  with  rage,  and  with  his  hand  upon  his 
sword-hilt,  Capt.  Hyde  stamped  his  way  through 
*My  white  lamb. 


60  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

the  crowded  store  to  the  dusty  street.  Then  it 
struck  him  that  he  had  not  asked  the  name  of  the 
man  to  whom  Katherine  was  promised.  He  swore 
at  himself  for  the  omission.  Whether  he  knew  him 
or  not,  he  was  determined  to  fight  him.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  most  practical  revenge  was  to  try 
and  see  Katherine  before  her  father  had  the  oppor- 
tunity to  give  her  any  orders  regarding  him.  Just 
then  he  met  Neil  Semple,  and  he  stopped  and  asked 
him  the  time. 

"  It  will  be  the  half  hour  after  four,  captain.  I 
am  going  home :  shall  I  have  your  company,  sir  ?  " 

"I  have  not  so  much  leisure  to-night.  Make  a 
thousand  regrets  to  Madam  Semple  and  my  aunt  for 
me." 

Neil's  calm,  complacent  gravity  was  unendurable. 
He  turned  from  him  abruptly,  and,  muttering  pas- 
sionate exclamations,  went  to  the  river-bank  for  a 
boat.  Often  he  had  seen  Katherine  between  five 
and  six  o'clock  at  the  foot  of  the  Van  Heemskirk 
garden ;  for  it  was  then  possible  for  her  to  slip  away 
while  madam  was  busy  about  her  house,  and  Joanna 
and  Batavius  talking  over  their  own  affairs.  And 
this  evening  he  felt  that  the  very  intensity  of  his 
desire  must  surely  bring  her  to  their  trysting-place 
behind  the  lilac  hedge. 

Whether  he  was  right  or  wrong,  he  did  not  con- 
sider; for  he  was  not  one  of  tho^e  potent  men  who 
have  themselves  in  their  own  power.  Nor  had  it 
ever  entered  his  mind  that  "  love's  strength  stand- 
eth  in  love's  sacrifice,"  or  that  the  only  love  worthy 
of  the  name  refuses  to  blend  with  any  thing  that  is 
low  or  vindictive  or  clandestine.  And,  even  if  he 
had  not  loved  Katherine,  he  would  now  have  been 
determined  to  ntarry  her.  Never  before  in  all  his 
life  had  he  found  an  object  so  engrossing.  Pride 
and  revenge  were  added  to  love,  as  motives;  but 
who  will  say  that  love  was  purer  or  stronger  or 
sweeter  for  them  ? 

In  the  meantime,  Joris  was  suffering  as  only  such 
deep  natures  can  suffer.  There  are  domestic  fatali- 
ties which  the  wisest  and  tenderest  of  parents  seem 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  61 

impotent  to  contend  with.  Joris  had  certainly  been 
alarmed  by  Semple's  warning;  but  in  forbidding  his 
daughter  to  visit  Mrs.  Gordon,  and  in  permitting 
the  suit  of  Neil  Semple,  he  thought  he  had  assured 
her  safety.  Through  all  the  past  weeks,  he  had 
seen  no  shadow  on  her  face.  The  fear  had  died  out, 
and  the  hope  had  been  slowly  growing ;  so  that  Capt. 
Hyde's  proposal,  and  his  positive  assertion  that 
Katherine  loved  him,  had  fallen  upon  the  father's 
heart  with  the  force  of  a  blow,  and  the  terror  of  a 
shock.  And  the  sting  of  the  sorrow  was  this,— that 
his  child  had  deceived  him.  Certainly  she  had  not 
spoken  false  words,  but  truth  can  be  outraged  by  si- 
lence quite  as  cruelly  as  by  speech. 

After  Hyde's  departure,  he  shut  the  door  of  his 
office,  walked  to  the  window,  and  stood  there  some 
minutes,  clasping  and  unclasping  his  large  hands, 
like  a  man  full  of  grief  and  perplexity.  Ere  long  he 
remembered  his  friend  Semple.  This  trouble  con- 
cerned him  also,  for  Capt.  Hyde  was  in  a  manner 
his  guest;  and,  if  he  were  informed  of  the  marriage 
arranged  between  Katherine  and  Neil  Semple,  he 
would  doubtless  feel  himself  bound  in  honor  to  re- 
tire. Elder  Semple  had  opened  his  house  to  Col. 
Gordon,  his  wife  and  nephew.  For  months  they  had 
lived  in  comfort  under  his  roof,  and  been  made 
heartily  welcome  to  the  best  of  all  he  possessed. 
Joris  put  himself  in  Hyde's  place ;  and  he  was  cer- 
tain, that,  under  the  same  circumstances,  he  would 
feel  it  disgraceful  to  interfere  with  the  love-affairs 
of  his  host's  son. 

He  found  Semple  with  his  hat  in  his  hand,  giving 
his  last  orders  before  leaving  business  for  the  day; 
but  when  Joris  said,  "  There  is  trouble,  and  your 
advice  I  want,"  he  returned  with  him  to  the  back  of 
the  store,  where,  through  half-opened  shutters,  the 
sunshine  and  the  river-breeze  stole  into  an  atmos- 
phere laden  with  the  aromas  of  tea  and  coffee  and 
West  Indian  produce. 

In  a  few  short,  strong  sentences,  Joris  put  the 
case  before  Semple.  The  latter  stroked  his  right 
knee  thoughtfully,  and  listened.  But  his  first  words 


62  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

were  not  very  comforting:  "I  must  say,  that  it  is 
maistly  your  own  fault,  Joris.  You  hae  given  Neil 
but  a  half  welcome,  and  you  should  hae  made  a' 
things  plain  and  positive  to  Katherine.  Such 
skimble-skamble,  yea  and  nay  kind  o'  ways  willna 
do  wi'  women.  Why  didna  you  say  to  her,  out  aod 
out,  '  I  hae  promised  you  to  Neil  Semple,  my  lassie. 
He'll  mak'  you  the  best  o'  husbands ;  you'll  marry 
him  at  the  New  Year,  and  you'll  get  gold  and  plen- 
ishing and  a'  things  suitable '  ?  " 

"  So  young  she  is  yet,  elder." 

"She  has  been  o'er  auld  for  you,  Joris.  Young! 
My  certie !  When  girls  are  auld  enough  for  a  lover, 
they  are  a  match  for  any  gray  head.  I'm  a  thankfu' 
man  that  I  wasna'  put  in  charge  o'  any  o'  them. 
You  and  your  household  will  hae  to  keep  your  e'en 
weel  open,  or  there  will  be  a  wedding  to  which  nane 
o'  us  will  get  an  invite.  But  there  is  little  good  in 
mair  words.  Hame  is  the  place  we  are  baith  needed 
in.  I  shall  hae  to  speak  my  mind  to  Neil,  and  like- 
wise to  Col.  Gordon ;  and  you  canna  put  off  your 
duty  to  your  daughter  an  hour  longer.  Dear  me! 
To  'think,  Joris,  o'  a  man  being  able  to  sit  wi'  the 
councillors  o'  the  nation,  and  yet  no  match  for  a 
lassie  o'  seventeen!  " 

There  are  men  who  can  talk  their  troubles  away : 
Joris  was  not  one  of  them.  He  was  silent  when  in 
sorrow  or  perplexity ;  silent,  and  ever  looking  around 
for  something  to  do  in  the  matter.  As  they  walked 
homeward,  the  elder  talked,  and  Joris  pondered, 
not  what  was  said,  but  the  thoughts  and  purposes 
that  were  slowly  forming  in  his  own  mind.  He  was 
later  than  usual,  and  the  tea  and  the  cakes  had 
passed  their  prime  condition ;  but,  when  Lysbet  saw 
the  trouble  in  his  eyes,  she  thought  them  not  worth 
mentioning.  Joanna  and  Batavius  were  discussing 
their  new  house  then  building  on  the  East  River 
bank,  and  they  had  forgotten  all  else.  But  Kather- 
ine fretted  about  her  father's  delay,  and  it  was  at 
her  Joris  first  looked.  The  veil  had  now  been  taken 
from  his  eyes ;  and  he  noticed  her  pretty  dress,  her 
restless  glances  at  the  clock,  her  ill-concealed  im- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  63 

patience  at  the  slow  movement  of  the  evening- 
meal. 

When  it  was  over,  Joanna  and  Batavius  went  out 
to  walk,  and  Madam  Yan  Heemskirk  rose  to  put 
away  her  silver  and  china.  "So  warm  as  it  is!" 
said  Katherine.  "  Into  the  garden  I  am  going, 
mother." 

"  Well,  then,  there  are  currants  to  pull.  The  dish 
take  with  you." 

Joris  rose  then,  and  laying  his  hand  on  Kather- 
ine's  shoulder  said,  "  There  is  something  to  talk 
about.  Sit  down,  Lysbet :  the  door  shut  close,  and 
listen  to  me." 

It  was  impossible  to  mistake  the  stern  purpose  on 
her  husband's  face,  and  Lysbet  silently  obeyed  the 
order. 

"  Katherine,  Katrijntje,  mijn  kind,  this  afternoon 
there  comes  to  the  store  the  young  man  Capt.  Hyde. 
To  thy  father  he  said  many  ill  words.  To  him  thou 
shalt  never  speak  again.  Thy  promise  give  to  me." 

She  sat  silent,  with  dropped  eyes,  and  cheeks  as 
red  as  the  pomegranate  flower  at  her  breast. 

"  Mijn  kind,  speak  to  me." 

"  O  wee,  O  wee!" 

<s  Mijn  kind,  speak  to  me." 

Weeping  bitterly,  she  rose  and  went  to  her  mother, 
and  laid  her  head  upon  Lysbet's  shoulder. 

"Look  now,  Joris.  One  must  know  the  'why* 
and  the  'wherefore.'  What  mean  you?  Wliish* 
mijn  kindje!" 

"  This  I  mean,  Lysbet.  No  more  meetings  with 
the  Englishman  will  I  have.  No  love  secrets  will  I 
bear.  Danger  is  with  them  ;  yes,  and  sin,  too." 

"  Joris,  if  he  has  spoken  to  you,  then  where  is  the 
secret  ?  " 

"  Too  late  he  spoke.  When  worked  was  his  own 
selfish  way,  to  tell  me  of  his  triumph  he  comes.  It 
is  a  shameful  wrong.  Forgive  it  ?  No,  I  will  not,. 
— never! " 

No  one  answered  him  ;  only  Katherine's  low  weep- 
ing broke  the  silence,  and  for  a  few  moments  Joris- 
paced  the  room  sorrowful  and  amazed.  Then  he 


64  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

looked  at  Lysbet,  and  she  rose  and  gave  her  place 
to  him.  He  put  his  arms  around  his  darling,  and 
kissed  her  fondly. 

"  Mljn  kinclje,  listen  to  me  thy  father.  It  is  for 
thy  happy  life  here,  it  is  for  thy  eternal  life,  I  speak 
to  thee.  This  mail  for  whom  thou  art  weeping  is  not 
good  for  thee.  He  is  not  of  thy  faith,  he  is  a  Luth- 
eran ;  not  of  thy  people,  he  is  an  Englishman;  not 
of  thy  station,  he  talks  of  his  nobility;  a  gambler 
also,  a  man  of  fashion,  of  loose  talk,  of  principles 
still  more  loose.  If  with  the  hawk  a  singing-bird 
might  mate  happily,  then  this  English  soldier  thou 
might  safely  marry.  Mijn  beste  kindje,  do  I  love 
thee  ?  " 

"My  father!  " 

"Do  I  love  thee?" 

"  Yes,  yes." 

"  Dost  thou,  then,  love  me  ?  " 

She  put  her  arms  round  his  neck,  and  laid  her 
cheek  against  his,  and  kissed  him  many  times. 

"  Wilt  thou  go  away  and  leave  me,  and  leave  thy 
mother,  in  our  old  age  ?  My  heart  thou  would 
break.  My  gray  hairs  to  the  grave  would  go  in  sor- 
row. Katrijntje,  my  dear,  dear  child,  what  for  me, 
and  for  thy  mother,  wilt  thou  do  ?  " 

"  Thy  wish— if  I  can." 

Then  he  told  her  of  the  provision  made  for  her 
future.  He  reminded  her  of  NeilVlong  affection, 
and  of  her  satisfaction  with  it  until  Hyde  had  wooed 
her  from  her  love  and  her  duty.  And,  remember- 
ing the  elder's  reproach  on  his  want  of  explicitness, 
he  added,  "To-morrow,  about  thy  own  house,  I  will 
take  the  first  step.  Near  my  house  it  shall  be ;  and 
when  I  walk  in  my  garden,  in  thy  garden  I  will  see 
thee,  and  only  a  little  fence  shall  be  between  us. 
And  at  the  feast  of  St.  Nicholas  thou  shalt  be  mar- 
ried ;  for  then  thy  sisters  will  be  here,  thy  sisters 
Anna  and  Cornelia.  And  money,  plenty  of  money, 
I  will  give  thee ;  and  all  that  is  proper  thy  mother 
and  thee  shall  buy.  But  no  more,  no  more  at  all, 
shalt  thou  see  or  speak  to  that  bad  man  who  has  so 
beguiled  thee." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  65 

At  this  remark  Katherine  sadly  shook  her  head ; 
and  Lysbet's  face  so  plainly  expressed  caution,  that 
Joris  somewhat  modified  his  last  order,  "  That  is, 
little  one,  no  more  until  the  feast  of  St.  Nicholas. 
Then  thou  wilt  be  married;  and  then  it  is  good,  if  it 
is  safe,  to  forgive  all  wrongs,  and  to  begin  again 
with  all  the  world  in  peace  and  good  living.  Wilt 
thou  these  things  promise  me  ?  me  and  thy  mother  ?  " 

"  Richard  I  must  see  once  more.  That  is  what  I 
ask." 

"Richard!    So  far  is  it  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer;  and  Joris  rose,  and  looked  at 
the  girl's  mother  inquiringly.  Her  face  expressed 
assent;  and  he  said  reluctantly,  "Well,  then,  I  will 
as  easy  make  it  as  I  can.  Once  more,  and  for  one 
hour,  thou  may  see  him.  But  I  lay  it  on  thee  to  tell 
him  the  truth,  for  this  and  for  all  other  time." 

"  Now  may  I  go  ?  He  is  anigh.  His  boat  I  hear 
at  the  landing;  "  and  she  stood  up,  intent,  listening, 
with  her  fair  head  lifted,  and  her  wet  eyes  fixed  on 
the  distance. 

"Well,  be  it  so.    Go." 

With  the  words  she  slipped  from  the  room ;  and 
Joris  called  Baltu  to  bring  him  some  hot  coals,  and 
began  to  fill  his  pipe.  As  he  did  so,  he  watched 
Lysbet  with  some  anxietj^.  She  had  offered  him  no 
sympathy,  she  evinced  no  disposition  to  continue 
the  conversation ;  and,  though  she  kept  her  face 
from  him,  he  understood  that  all  her  movements  ex- 
pressed a  rebellious  temper.  In  and  out  of  the  room 
she  passed,  very  busy  about  her  own  affairs,  and  ap- 
parently indifferent  to  his  anxiety  and  sorrow. 

At  first  Joris  felt  some  natural  anger  at  her  atti- 
tude ;  but,  as  the  Virginia  calmed  and  soothed  him, 
he  remembered  that  he  had  told  her  nothing  of  his 
interview  with  Hyde,  and  that  she  might  be  feeling 
and  reasoning  from  a  different  stand-point  from  him- 
self. Then  the  sweetness  of  his  nature  was  at  once 
in  the  ascendant;  and  he  said,  "  Lysbet,  come  then, 
and  talk  with  me  about  the  child." 

She  turned  the  keys  in  her  press  slowly,  and  stood 
by  it  with  them  in  her  hand.  "  What  has  been  told 


66  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

thee,  Joris,  to-day  ?  And  who  has  spoken  ?  Tongues 
evil  and  envious,  I  am  sure  of  that." 

"  Thou  art  wrong.  The  young  man  to  me  spoke 
himself.  He  said,  '  I  love  your  daughter.  I  want 
to  marry  her.'  " 

"  Well,  then,  he  did  no  wrong.  And  as  for  Kat- 
rijntje,  it  is  in  nature  that  a  young  girl  should  want 
a  lover.  It  is  in  nature  she  should  choose  the  one 
she  likes  best.  That  is  what  I  say." 

"  That  is  what  I  say,  Lysbet.  It  is  in  nature,  also, 
that  we  want  too  much  food  and  wine,  too  much 
sleep,  too  much  pleasure,  too  little  work.  It  is  in 
nature  that  our  own  way  we  want.  It  is  in  nature 
that  the  good  we  hate,  and  the  sin  we  love.  My 
Lysbet,  to  us  God  gives  his  own  good  grace,  that 
the  things  that  are  in  nature  we  might  put  below 
the  reason  and  the  will." 

"  So  hard  that  is,  Joris." 

"No,  it  is  not:  so  far  thou  hast  done  the  right 
way.  When  Katherine  was  a  babe,  it  was  in  nature 
that  with  the  fire  she  wanted  to  make  play.  But 
thou  said,  'There  is  danger,  my  precious  one ; '  and 
in  thy  arms  thou  carried  her  out  of  the  temptation. 
When  older  she  grew,  it  was  in  nature  she  said,  '  I 
like  not  the  school,  and  my  Heidelberg  is  hard,  and 
I  cannot  learn  it.'  But  thou  answered,  'For  thy 
good  is  the  school,  and  go  thou  every  day ;  and  for 
thy  salvation  is  thy  catechism,  and  I  will  see  that 
thou  learn  it  well.'  Now,  then,  it  is  in  nature  the 
child  should  want  this  handsome  stranger ;  but  with 
me  thou  wilt  certainly  say,  '  He  is  not  fit  for  thy  hap- 
piness: he  has  not  the  true  faith,  he  gambles,  he 
fights  duels,  he  is  a  waster,  he  lives  badly,  he  will 
take  thee  far  from  thy  own  people  and  thy  own 
home.'  " 

"  Can  the  man  help  that  he  was  born  an  English- 
man and  a  Lutheran  ?  " 

"  They  have  their  own  women.  Look  now,  from 
the  beginning  it  has  been  like  to  like.  Thou  may 
see  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that,  after  Esau  married 
the  Hittite  woman,  he  sold  his  birthright,  and  be- 
came a  wanderer  and  a  vagabond.  And  it  is  said 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  67 

that  it  was  a  '  grief  of  mind  unto  Isaac  and  Kebekah. ' 
I  am  sorry  this  day  for  Isaac  and  Kebekah.  The 
heart  of  the  father  is  the  same  always." 

11  And  the  heart  of  the  mother,  also,  Joris."  She 
drew  close  to  him,  and  laid  her  arm  across  his  broad 
shoulders ;  and  he  took  his  pipe  from  his  lips,  and 
turned  his  face  to  her.  "  Kind  and  wise  art  thou, 
my  husband ;  and  whatever  is  thy  wish,  that  is  my 
wish  too." 

"A  good  woman  thou  art.  And  what  pleasure 
would  it  be  to  thee  if  Katherine  was  a  countess,  and 
went  to  the  court,  and  bowed  down  to  the  king  and 
the  queen?  Thou  would  not  see  it;  and,  if  thou 
spoke  of  it,  thy  neighbors  they  would  hate  thee,  and 
mock  thee  behind  thy  back,  and  say,  '  How  proud  is 
Lysbet  Van  Heemskirk  of  her  noble  son-in-law  that 
comes  never  once  to  see  her!'  And  dost  thou  be- 
lieve he  is  an  earl  ?  Not  I." 

"  That  is  where  the  mother's  love  is  best,  Joris. 
What  my  neighbors  said  would  be  little  care  to  me, 
if  my  Katherine  was  well  and  was  happy.  With 
her  sorrow  would  I  buy  my  own  pleasure  ?  No ;  I 
would  not  so  selfish  be." 

"  Would  I,  Lysbet  ?  Eight  am  I,  and  I  know  I  am 
right.  And  I  think  that  Neil  Semple  will  be  a  very 
great  person.  Already,  as  a  man  of  affairs,  he  is 
much  spoken  of.  He  is  handsome  and  of  good  mor- 
ality. The  elders  in  the  kirk  look  to  such  young 
men  as  Neil  to  fill  their  places  when  they  are  no 
more  in  them.  On  the  judge's  bench  he  will  sit 
down  yet." 

"  A  good  young  man  he  may  be,  but  he  is  a  very 
bad  lover ;  that  is  the  truth.  If  a  little  less  wise  he 
could  only  be!  A  young  girl  likes  some  foolish 
talk.  It  is  what  women  understand.  Little  fond 
words,  very  strong  they  are!  Thou  thyself  said 
them  to  me." 

"  That  is  right.  To  Neil  I  will  talk  a  little.  A  man 
must  seek  a  good  wife  with  more  heart  than  he  seeks 
gold.  Yes,  yes ;  her  price  above  rubies  is." 

At  the  very  moment  Joris  made  this  remark,  the 
elder  was  speaking  for  him.  When  he  arrived  at 


68  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

home,  he  found  that  his  wife  was  out  making  calls 
with  Mrs.  Gordon,  so  he  had  not  the  relief  of  a 
marital  conversation.  He  took  his  solitary  tea,  and 
fell  into  a  nap,  from  which  he  awoke  in  a  querulous, 
uneasy  temper.  Neil  was  walking  about  the  ter- 
race, and  he  joined  him. 

"You  are  stepping  in  a  vera  majestic  way,  Neil: 
what's  in  your  thoughts,  I  wonder  ?  " 

"  I  have  a  speech  to  make  to-morrow,  sir.  My 
thoughts  were  on  the  law,  which  has  a  certain  maj- 
esty of  its  own." 

"You'd  better  be  thinking  o'  a  speech  you  ought 
to  make  to-night,  if  you  care  aboot  saving  yoursei' 
wi'  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk ;  and  it  will  be  an  ex- 
traordinar'  case  that  is  worth  mair,  even  in  the  way 
o'  siller,  than  she  is." 

The  elder  was  not  in  the  habit  of  making  unmean- 
ing speeches,  and  Neil  was  instantly  alarmed.  In 
his  own  way,  he  loved  Katherine  with  all  his  soul. 
"  Yes,"  continued  the  old  man,  "  you  hae  a  rival,  sir. 
Capt.  Hyde  asked  Van  Heemskirk  for  his  daughter 
this  afternoon,  and  an  earldom  in  prospect  isna  a 
poor  bait." 

"What  a  black  scoundrel  he  must  be! — to  use 
your  hospitality  to  steal  from  your  son  the  woman 
he  loves." 

"Tak'  your  time,  Neil,  and  you  won't  lose  your 
judgment.  How  was  he  to  ken  that  ••Katherine  was 
your  sweetheart  ?  You  made  little  o'  the  lassie, 
vera  little,  I  may  say.  Lawyer-like  you  may  be, 
but  nane  could  call  you  lover-like.  And  while  he 
and  his  are  my  guests,  and  in  my  house,  I'll  no  hae 
pou  righting  him.  Tak'  a  word  o'  advice  now, — 
I'll  gie  it  without  a  fee, — you  are  fond  enough  to 
plead  for  others,  go  and  plead  an  hour  for  yoursei'. 
Certie!  When  I  was  your  age,  I  was  aye  noted  for 
my  persuading  way.  Your  father,  sir,  never  left  a 
spare  corner  for  a  rival.  Audi  can  tell  you  this  :  a 
woman  isna  to  be  counted  your  ain,  until  you  hae 
her  inside  a  wedding-ring." 

"  What  did  the  councillor  say  ?  " 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  he  said  '  no,'  a  vera  plain  '  no,' 


I 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  69 

too.  You  ken  Van  Heemskirk's  *  no  '  isn't  a  shilly- 
shallying kind  o'  a  negative ;  but  fora'  that,  if  I  hae 
any  skill  in  judging  men,  Eichard  Hyde  isna  one  o' 
the  kind  that  tak's  'no  '  from  either  man  or  woman." 

Neil  was  intensely  angry,  and  his  dark  eyes  glowed 
beneath  their  dropped  lids  with  a  passionate  hate. 
But  he  left  his  father  with  an  assumed  coldness  and 
calmness  which  made  him  mutter  as  he  watched 
Neil  down  the  road,  "  I  needna  hae  'fashed  mysel' 
to  warn  him  against  fighting.  He's  a  prudent  lad. 
It's  no  right  to  fight,  and  it  would  be  a  matter  for 
a  kirk  session  likewise ;  but  Bruce  and  Wallace !  was 
there  ever  a  Semple,  before  Neil,  that  keepit  his 
hand  off  his  weapon  when  his  love  or  his  right 
was  touched  ?  And  there's  his  mother  out  the 
night,  of  all  the  nights  in  the  year,  and  me  want- 
ing a  word  o'  advice  sae  bad ;  not  that  Janet  has 
o'er  much  good  sense,  but  whiles  she  can  make  an 
obsarve  that  sets  my  ain  wisdom  in  a  right  line  o' 
thought.  I  wish  to  patience  she'd  bide  at  home. 
She  never  kens  when  I  may  be  needing  her.  And, 
now  I  come  to  think  o'  things,  it  will  be  the  warst 
o'  all  bad  hours  for  Neil  to  seek  Katharine  the 
night.  She'll  be  fretting,  and  the  mother  pouting, 
and  the  councillor  in  ane  o'  his  particular  Dutch 
touch-me-not  tempers.  I  do  hope  the  lad  will  hae 
the  uncommon  sense  to  let  folks  cool,  and  come  to 
theirsel's  a  wee." 

For  the  elder,  judging  his  son  by  the  impetuosity 
of  his  own  youthful  temper,  expected  him  to  go  di- 
rectly to  Van  Heemskirk's  house.  But  there  were 
qualities  in  Neil  which  his  father  forgot  to  take  into 
consideration,  and  their  influence  was  to  suggest  to 
the  young  man  how  inappropriate  a  visit  to  Kath- 
erine  would  be  at  that  time.  Indeed,  he  did  not 
much  desire  it.  He  was  very  angry  with  Katherine. 
He  was  sure  that  she  understood  his  entire  devotion 
to  her.  He  could  not  see  any  necessity  to  set  it 
forth  as  particularly  as  a  legal  contract,  in  certain 
set  phrases  and  conventional  ceremonies. 

But  his  father's  sarcastic  advice  annoyed  him,  and 
he  wanted  time  to  fully  consider  his  ways.  He  was 


70  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

no  physical  coward :  he  was  a  fine  swordsman,  and 
he  felt  that  it  would  be  a  real  joy  to  stand  with  a 
drawn  rapier  between  himself  and  his  rival.  But 
what  if  revenge  cost  him  too  much?  What  if  he 
slew  Hyde,  and  had  to  leave  his  love  and  his  home, 
and  his  fine  business  prospects  ?  To  win  Katherine, 
and  to  marry  her,  in  the  face  of  the  man  whom  he 
felt  that  he  detested :  would  not  that  be  the  best  of 
all  "  satisfactions  "  ? 

He  walked  about  the  streets,  discussing  these 
points  with  himself,  till  the  shops  all  closed,  and  on 
the  stoops  of  the  houses  in  Maiden  Lane  and  Liberty 
Street  there  were  merry  parties  of  gossiping  belles 
and  beaux.  Then  he  returned  to  Broadway.  Half 
a  dozen  gentlemen  were  standing  before  the  King's 
Arms  Tavern,  discussing  some  governmental  state- 
ment in  the  "Weekly  Mercury;"  but  though  they 
asked  him  to  stop,  and  enlighten  them  on  some 
legal  point,  he  excused  himself  for  that  night,  and 
went  toward  Yan  Heemskirk's.  He  had  suddenly 
resolved  upon  a  visit.  Why  should  he  put  off  until 
the  morrow  what  he  might  begin  that  night? 

Still  debating  with  himself,  he  came  to  a  narrow 
road  which  ran  to  the  river,  along  the  southern  side 
of  Yan  Heemskirk's  house.  It  was  only  a  trodden 
path  used  by  fishermen,  and  made  by  usage  through 
the  unenclosed  ground.  But  coming  swiftly  up  it, 
as  if  to  detain  him,  was  Capt.  Hyde.  The  two  men 
looked  at  each  other  defiantly ;  and  Neil  said  with  a 
cold,  meaning  emphasis, — 

"  At  your  service,  sir." 

"  Mr.  Semple,  at  your  service," — and  touching  his 
sword, — "  to  the  very  hilt,  sir." 

"Sir,  yours  to  the  same  extremity." 

"As  for  the  cause,  Mr.  Semple,  here  it  is ; "  and  he 
pushed  aside  his  embroidered  coat  in  order  to  ex- 
hibit to  Neil  the  bow  of  orange  ribbon  beneath  it. 

"I  will  dye  it  crimson  in  your  blood,"  said  Neil 
passionately. 

"In  the  mean  time,  I  have  the  felicity  of  wearing 
it;"  and  with  an  offensively  deep  salute,  he  ter- 
minated the  interview. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  71 

CHAPTER  VI. 

AT  THE  SWORD'S  POINT. 

"Kevenge  is  but  a  frailty  incident 
To  crazed  and  sickly  minds ;  the  poor  content 
Of  little  souls,  unable  to  surmount 
An  injury,  too  weak  to  bear  affront." 

Oldham. 

"  Love  and  a  crown  no  rivalship  can  bear. 
Love,  love !    Thou  sternly  dost  thy  power  mantain, 
And  wilt  not  bear  a  rival  in  thy  reign." 

Dryde.ii. 

"  There  comes  my  mortal  enemy ; 
And  either  he  must  fall  in  fight,  or  I." 

Dryden. 

NEIL'S  first  emotion  was  not  so  much  one  of  anger 
as  of  exultation.  The  civilization  of  the  Semples 
was  scarce  a  century  old;  and  behind  them  were 
generations  of  fierce  men,  whose  hands  had  been  on 
their  dirks  for  a  word  or  a  look.  "  I  shall  have  him 
at  my  sword's  point :  "  that  was  what  he  kept  saying 
to  himself  as  he  turned  from  Hyde  to  Yan  Heems- 
kirk's  house.  The  front-door  stood  open;  and  he 
walked  through  it  to  the  back-stoop,  where  Jons 
was  smoking. 

Katherine  sat  upon  the  steps  of  the  stoop.  Her 
head  was  in  her  hand,  her  eyes  red  with  weeping, 
her  'whole  attitude  one  of  desponding  sorrow.  But, 
at  this  hour,  Neil  was  indifferent  to  adverse  circum- 
stances. He  was  moving  in  that  exultation  of  spirit 
which  may  be  simulated  by  the  first  rapture  of  good 
wine,  but  which  is  only  genuine  when  the  soul  takes 
entire  possession  of  the  man,  and  makes  him  for 
some  rare,  short  interval  lord  of  himself,  and  con- 
temptuous of  all  fears  and  doubts  and  difficulties. 
He  never  noticed  that  Joris  was  less  kind  than 
usual ;  but  touching  Katherine,  to  arouse  her  atten- 
tion, said,  "Come  with  me  down  the  garden,  my 
love." 

She  looked  at  him  wonderingly.  His  words  and 
manner  were  strange  and  potent ;  and,  although  she 


72  THE  SOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

had  just  been  assuring  herself  that  she  would  resist 
his  advances  on  every  occasion,  she  rose  at  his  re- 
quest and  gave  him  her  hand. 

Then  the  tender  thoughts  which  had  lain  so  deep 
in  his  heart  flew  to  his  lips,  and  he  woo'd  her  with  a 
fervor  and  nobility  as  astonishing  to  himself  as  to 
Katherine.  He  reminded  her  of  all  the  sweet  inter- 
course of  their  happy  lives,  and  of  the  fidelity  with 
which  he  had  loved  her.  "When  I  was  a  lad  ten 
years  old,  and  saw  you  first  in  your  mother's  arms, 
I  called  you  then  '  my  little  wife.'  Oh,  my  Kather- 
ine, my  sweet  Katherine!  "Who  is  there  that  can 
take  you  from  me  ?  " 

"Neil,  like  a  brother  to  me  you  have  been.  Like 
a  dear  brother,  I  love  you.  But  your  wife  to  be! 
That  is  not  the  same.  Ask  me  not  that." 

"  Only  that  can  satisfy  me,  Katherine.  Do  you 
think  I  will  ever  give  you  up  ?  Not  while  I  live." 

"No  one  will  I  marry.  With  my  father  and 
mother  I  will  stay." 

"  Yes,  till  you  learn  to  love  me  as  I  love  you,  with 
the  whole  soul."  He  drew  her  close  to  his  side,  and 
bent  tenderly  to  her  face. 

"No,  you  shall  not  kiss  me,  Neil,— never  again. 
No  right  have  you,  Neil." 

"  You  are  to  be  my  wife,  Katherine  ?  " 

"  That  I  have  not  said." 

She  drew  herself  from  his  embrace,  and  stood  lean- 
ing against  an  elm-tree,  watchful  of  Neil,  full  of 
wonder  at  the  sudden  warmth  of  his  love,  and  half 
fearful  of  his  influence  over  her. 

"  But  you  have  known  it,  Katherine,  ay,  for  many 
a  year.  No  words  could  make  the  troth-plight  truer. 
From  this  hour,  mine  and  only  mine." 

"  Such  things  you  shall  not  say." 

"  I  will  say  them  before  all  the  world.  Katherine, 
is  it  true  that  an  English  soldier  is  wearing  a  bow  of 
your  ribbon  ?  You  must  tell  me." 

"  What  mean  you  ?  " 

"I  will  make  my  meaning  plain.  Is  Capt.  Hyde 
wearing  a  bow  of  your  orange  ribbon  ?  " 

"Can  I  tell?" 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  73 

'Yes.    Do  not  lie  to  me." 

*  A  lie  I  would  not  speak." 

*  Did  you  give  him  one  ?  an  orange  one  ?  " 

'  Yes.    A  bow  of  my  St.  Nicholas  ribbon  I  gave 
him." 
'Why?" 

'  Me  he  loves,  and  him  I  love." 
'  And  he  wears  it  at  his  breast  ?  " 
'  On    his    breast   I  have  seen  it.    Neil,  do  not 
quarrel  with   him.    Do  not  look  so  angry.    I  fear 
you.    My  fault  it  is;  all  my  fault,  Neil.    Only  to 
please  me  he  wears  it." 

"  You  have  more  St.  Nicholas  ribbons? " 

"That  is  so." 

"  Go  and  get  me  one.  Get  a  bow,  Katherine,  and 
give  it  to  me.  I  will  wait  here  for  it." 

"  No,  that  I  will  not  do.  How  false,  how  wicked  I 
would  be,  if  two  lovers  my  colors  wore!  " 

"  Katherine,  I  am  in  great  earnest.  A  bow  of  that 
ribbon  I  must  have.  Get  one  for  me." 

"  My  hands  I  would  cut  off  first." 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  cut  my  bow  from  Hyde's 
breast.  I  will,  though  I  cut  his  heart  out  with  it." 

He  turned  from  her  as  he  said  the  words,  and 
without  speaking  to  Joris,  passed  through  the 
garden-gate  to  his  own  home.  His  mother  and  Mrs. 
Gordon,  and  several  young  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
were  sitting  on  the  stoop,  arranging  for  a  turtle 
feast  on  the  East  River;  and  Neil's  advent  was 
hailed  with  ejaculations  of  pleasure.  He  affected  to 
listen  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  excused  himself 
upon  the  "  assurance  of  having  some  very  important 
writing  to  attend  to."  But,  as  he  passed  the  parlor- 
door,  his  father  called  him.  The  elder  was  casting 
up  some  kirk  accounts;  but,  as  Neil  answered  the 
summons,  he  carefully  put  the  extinguisher  on  one 
candle,  and  turned  his  chair  from  the  table  in  a 
way  which  Neil  understood  as  an  invitation  for  his 
company. 

A  moment's  reflection  convinced  Neil  that  it  was 
his  wisest  plan  to  accede.  It  was  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance that  his  father  should  be  kept  absolutely 


74  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

ignorant  of  his  quarrel  with  Hyde ;  for  Neil  was 
certain,  that,  if  he  suspected  their  intention  to  fight, 
he  would  invoke  the  aid  of  the  law  to  preserve 
peace,  and  such  a  course  would  infallibly  subject 
him  to  suspicions  which  would  be  worse  than  death 
to  his  proud  spirit. 

"  Weel,  Neil,  my  dear  lad,  you  are  early  hame. 
Where  were  you  the  night  ?  " 

"  I  have  just  left  Katherine,  sir,  having  followed 
your  advice  in  my  wooing.  I  wish  I  had  done  so 
earlier." 

"Ay,  ay;  when  a  man  is  seventy  years  auld,  he 
has  read  the  book  o'  life,  'specially  the  chapter 
anent  women,  and  he  kens  a'  about  them.  A  bonnie 
lass  expects  to  hae  a  kind  o'  worship ;  but  the  service 
is  na  unpleasant,  quite  the  contrary.  Did  you  see 
Capt.  Hyde  ?  " 

"  We  met  near  Broadway,  and  exchanged  civili- 
ties." 

"  A  gude  thing  to  exchange.  When  Gordon  gets 
back  frae  Albany,  I'll  hae  a  talk  wi'  him,  and  I'll 
get  the  captain  sent  there.  In  Albany  there  are 
bonnie  lasses  and  rich  lasses  in  plenty  for  him  to  try 
his  enchantments  on.  There  was  talk  o'  sending 
him  there  months  syne :  it  will  be  done  ere  long,  or 
my  name  isna  Alexander  Sernple." 

"  I  see  you  are  casting  up  the  kirk  accounts.  Can 
I  help  you,  father?" 

"  I  hae  every  thing  ready  for  the  consistory.  Neil, 
what  is  the  gude  o'  us  speaking  o'  this  and  that,  and 
thinking  that  we  are  deceiving  each  other?  lam 
vera  anxious  anent  affairs  between  Capt.  Hyde  and 
yoursel';  and  I'm  'feared  you'll  be  coming  to  hot 
words,  maybe  to  blows,  afore  I  manage  to  put  twa 
hundred  miles  atween  you.  My  lad,  my  ain  dear 
lad !  You  are  the  Joseph  or  a'  my  sons ;  you  are  the 
,i°y  o'  your  mother's  life.  For  our  sake,  keep  a 
calm  sough,  and  dinna  let  a  fool  provoke  you  to 
break  our  hearts,  and  maybe  send  you  into  God's 
presence  uncalled  and  unblessed." 

"Father,  put  yoursel'  in  my  place.  How  would 
you  feel  toward  Capt.  Hyde  ?  " 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  75 

"  Weel,  I'll  allow  that  I  wouldna  feel  kindly.  I 
dinna  feel  kindly  to  him,  even  in  rny  ain  place." 

"As  you  desire  it,  we  will  speak  plainly  to  each 
other  anent  this  subject.  You  know  his  proud  and 
hasty  temper;  you  know  also  that  I  am  more  like 
yourself  than  like  Moses  in  the  way  of  meekness. 
Now,  if  Capt.  Hyde  insults  me,  what  course  would 
you  advise  me  to  adopt?  " 

"  I  wouldna  gie  him.  the  chance  to  insult  you.  I 
would  keep  oot  o'  his  way.  There  is  naething  un- 
usual or  discreditable  in  taking  a  journey  to  Boston, 
to  speir  after  the  welfare  o'  your  brother  Alex- 
ander." 

"Oh,  indeed,  sir,  I  cannot  leave  my  affairs  for  an 
insolent  and  ungrateful  fool!  I  ask  your  advice  for 
the  ordinary  way  of  life,  not  for  the  way  that 
cowardice  or  fear  dictates.  If  without  looking  for 
him,  or  avoiding  him,  we  meet  and  a  quarrel  is  in- 
evitable, what  then,  father?" 

"  Ay,  weel,  in  that  case,  God  prevent  it!  But  in 
sic  a  strait,  my  lad,  it  is  better  to  gie  the  insult  than 
to  tak'  it." 

"  You  know  what  must  follow  ?  " 

"  Wha  doesna  ken  ?  Blood,  if  not  murder.  Neil, 
you  are  a  wise  and  prudent  lad:  now,  isna  the 
sword  o'  the  law  sharper  than  the  rapier  o'  honor?  " 

"  Law  has  no  remedy  for  the  wrongs  men  of  honor 
redress  with  the  sword.  A  man  may  call  me  every 
shameful  name ;  but,  unless  I  can  show  some  actual 
loss  in  money  or  money's  worth,  I  have  no  redress. 
And  suppose  that  I  tried  it,  and  that  after  long  suf- 
ferance and  delays  I  got  my  demands,  pray,  sir,  tell 
me,  how  can  offences  which  have  flogged  a  man's 
most  sacred  feelings  be  atoned  for  by  something  to 
put  in  the  pocket  ?  " 

"  Society,  Neil  " — 

"Society,  father,  always  convicts  and  punishes  the 
man  who  takes  an  insult  on  vieiv,  without  waiting 
for  his  indictment  or  trial. 

"  There  ought  to  be  a  law,  Neil  " — 

"  No  law  will  administer  itself,  sir.  The  statute- 
book  is  a  dead  letter  when  it  conflicts  with  public 


76  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

opinion.  There  is  not  a  week  passes  but  you  may 
see  that  for  yourself,  father.  If  a  man  is  insulted, 
he  must  protect  his  honor ;  and  he  will  do  so  until  the 
law  is  able  to  protect  him  better  than  his  own 
strength." 

"  There  is  another  way— a  rnair  Christian  way  "- 

"  The  world  has  not  taken  it  yet ;  at  any  rate,  I  am 
very  sure  none  of  the  Semples  have." 

"  You  are,  maybe,  o'er  sure,  Neil.  Deacon  Van 
Vorst  has  said  mair  than  my  natural  man  could 
thole,  many  a  time,  in  the  sessions  and  opt  o'  them ; 
but  the  dominie  aye  stood  between  us  wi'  his  word, 
and  we  hae  managed  so  far  to  keep  the  peace, 
though  a  mair  pig-headed,  provoking,  pugnacious 
auld  Dutchman  never  sat  down  on  the  dominie's  left 
hand." 

"  Then,  father,  if  Capt.  Hyde  should  quarrel  with 
me,  and  if  he  should  challenge  me,  you  advise  me  to 
refuse  the  challenge,  and  to  send  for  the  dominie  to 
settle  the  matter  ?  " 

"  I  didna  say  the  like  o'  that,  Neil.  I  am  an  auld 
man,  and  Van  Vorst  is  an  aulder  one.  We'd  be  a 
bonnie  picture  wi'  drawn  swords  in  oor  shaking 
hands;  though,  for  mysel',  I  may  say  that  there 
wasna  a  better  fencer  in  Ayrshire,  and  that  the  houses 
o'  Lockerby  and  Lanark  hae  reason  to  remember. 
And  I  wouldna  hae  the  honor  o'  the  Semples  doubted : 
I'd  fight  mysel'  first.  But  I'm  in«a- sair  strait,  Neil ; 
and  oh,  my  clear  lad,  what  will  I  say,  when  it's  the 
Word  o'  the  Lord  on  one  hand,  and  the  scaith  and 
scorn  of  a'  men  on  the  other  ?  But  I'll  trust  to  your 
prudence,  Neil,  and  no  begin  to  feel  the  weight  o'  a 
misery  that  may  ne'er  come  my  way.  All  my  life 
lang,  when  evils  hae  threatened  me,  I  hae  sought 
God's  help ;  and  he  has  either  averted  them  or  turned 
them  to  my  advantage." 

"  That  is  a  good  consolation,  father." 

"It  is  that;  and  I  ken  nae  better  plan  for  life 
than,  when  I  rise  up,  to  gie  mysel'  to  His  direction, 
and,  when  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep,  to  gie  mysel'  to 
his  care." 

"  In  such  comfortable  assurance,  sir,  I  think  we 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  77 

may  say  good-night.  I  have  business  early  in  the 
morning,  and  may  not  wait  for  your  company,  if  you 
will  excuse  me  so  far." 

"  Right,  vera  right,  Neil.  The  dawn  has  gold  in 
its  hand.  I  used  to  be  an  early  worker  mysel' ;  but 
I'm  an  auld  man  noo,  and  may  claim  sonie  privi- 
leges. Good-night,  Neil,  and  a  good-morning  to  fol- 
io wit." 

Neil  then  lit  his  candle;  and,  not  forgetting  that 
courteous  salute  which  the  young  then  always  ren- 
dered to  honorable  age,  he  went  slowly  up-stairs, 
feeling  suddenly  a  great  weariness  and  despair.  If 
Katherine  had  only  been  true  to  him !  He  was  sure, 
then,  that  he  could  have  fought  almost  joyfully  any 
pretender  to  her  favor.  But  he  was  deserted  by  the 
girl  whom  he  had  loved  all  her  sweet  life.  He  was 
betrayed  by  the  man  who  had  shared  the  hospitality 
of  his  home,  and,  in  the  cause  of  such  loss,  com- 
pelled to  hazard  a  life  opening  up  with  fair  hopes  to 
honor  and  distinction. . 

In  the  calm  of  his  own  chamber,  through  the 
silent,  solemn  hours,  when  the  world  was  shut  out 
of  his  life,  Neil  reviewed  his  position  ;  but  he  could 
find  no  honorable  way  out  of  his  predicament. 
Physically,  he  was  as  brave  as  brave  could  be;  mor- 
ally, he  had  none  of  that  grander  courage  which 
made  Jpris  Van  Heemskirk  laugh  to  scorn  the  idea 
of  yielding  God's  gift  of  life  at  the  demand  of  a  pas- 
sionate fool.  He  was  quite  sensible  that  his  first 
words  to  Capt.  Hyde  that  night  had  been  intended 
to  provoke  a  quarrel,  and  lie  knew  that  he  would  be 
expected  to  redeem  them  by  a  formal  defiance. 
However,  as  the  idea  became  familiar,  it  became 
imperative ;  and  at  length  it  was  with  a  fierce  satis- 
faction he  opened  his  desk,  and  without  hesitation 
wrote  the  decisive  words : — 

To  CAPT.  RICHARD  HYDE  OF  HIS  MAJESTY'S  SERVICE. 

Sir, — A  person  of  the  character  I  bear  cannot  allow  the  treach- 
ery and  dishonorable  conduct  of  which  you  have  been  guilty  to 
pass  without  punishment.  Convince  me  that  you  are  more  of  a 
gentleman  than  I  have  reason  to  believe,  by  meeting  me  to-night 
as  the  sun  drops  in  the  wood  on  the  Kalchhook  Hill.  Our  seconds 


78  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

can  locate  the  spot:  and  that  you  may  have  no  pretence  to  delay, 
I  send  by  bearer  two  swords,  of  which  1  give  you  the  privilege  to 
make  choice. 

In  the  interim,  at  your  service, 

NEIL  SEMPLE. 

He  had  already  selected  Adrian  Beekman  as  his 
second.  He  was  a  young  man  of  wealth  and  good 
family,  exceedingly  anxious  for  social  distinction, 
and,  moreover,  so  fastidiously  honorable  that  Neil 
felt  himself  in  his  hands  to  be  beyond  reproach. 
As  he  anticipated,  Beekman  accepted  the  duty  with 
alacrity,  and,  indeed,  so  promptly  carried  out  his 
principal's  instructions,  that  he  found  Capt.  Hyde 
still  sleeping  when  he  waited  upon  him.  But  Hyde 
was  neither  astonished  nor  annoyed.  He  laughed 
lightly  at  "  Mr.  Semple's  impatience  of  offence,"  and 
directed  Mr.  Beekman  to  Capt.  Earle  as  his  second ; 
leaving  the  choice  of  swords  and  of  the  ground 
entirely  to  his  direction. 

"A  more  civil,  agreeable,  handsome  gentleman, 
impossible  it  would  be  to  find  ;  and  I  think  the  hot, 
haughty  temper  of  Xeil  is  to  blame  in  this  affair," 
*was  Beekman's  private  comment.  But  he  stood 
watchfully  by  his  principal's  interests,  and  affected 
a  gentlemanly  disapproval  of  Capt.  Hyde's  behavior. 

And  lightly  as  Hyde  had  taken  the  challenge,  he 
was  really  more  disinclined  to  fight  than  Neil  was. 
In  his  heart  he  knew  that  Semple-had  a  just  cause 
of  anger;  "  but  then,"  he  argued,  "  Neil  is  a  proud, 
pompous  fellow,  for  whom  I  never  assumed  a  friend- 
ship. His  father's  hospitality  I  regret  in  any  way  to 
have  abused ;  but  who  the  deuce  could  have  suspected 
that  Neil  Semple  was  in  love  with  the  adorable 
Katherine  ?  In  faith,  I  did  not  at  the  first,  and  now 
'tis  too  late.  I  would  not  resign  the  girl  for  my  life ; 
for  I  am  sensible  that  life,  if  she  is  another's,  will  be 
a  verv  tedious  thing  to  me." 

All  day  Neil  was  busy  in  making  his  will,  and  in 
disposing  of  his  affairs.  He  knew  himself  well 
enough  to  be  certain,  that,  if  he  struck  the  first 
blow,  he  would  not  hesitate  to  strike  the  death- 
blow, and  that  nothing  less  than  such  conclusion 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  79 

would  satisfy  him.  Hyde  also  anticipated  a  deathly 
persistence  of  animosity  in  his  opponent,  and  felt 
equally  the  necessity  for  some  definite  arrangement 
of  his  business.  Unfortunately,  it  was  in  a  very 
confused  state.  He  owed  many  debts  of  honor,  and 
Cohen's  bill  was  yet  unsettled.  He  drank  a  cup  of 
coffee,  wrote  several  important  letters,  and  then 
went  to  Fraunce's,  and  had  a  steak  and  a  bottle  of 
wine.  During  his  meal  his  thoughts  wandered  be- 
tween Katherine  and  the  Jew  Cohen.  After  it  he 
went  straight  to  Cohen's  store. 

It  happened  to  be  Saturday ;  and  the  shutters  were 
closed,  though  the  door  was  slightly  open,  and 
Cohen  was  sitting  with  his  granddaughter  in  the 
.  cool  shadows  of  the  crowded  place.  Hyde  was  not 
in  a  ceremonious  mood,  and  he  took  no  thought  of 
it  being  the  Jew's  Sabbath.  He  pushed  wider  the 
door,  and  went  clattering  into  their  presence;  and 
with  an  air  of  pride  and  annoyance  the  Jew  rose  to 
meet  him.  At  the  same  time,  by  a  quick  look  of 
intelligence,  he  dismissed  Miriam ;  but  she  did  not 
retreat  farther  than  within  the  deeper  shadows  of 
some  curtains  of  stamped  Moorish  leather,  for  she 
anticipated  the  immediate  departure  of  the  intruder. 

She  was  therefore  astonished  when  her  grand- 
father, after  listening  to  a  few  sentences,  sat  down, 
and  entered  into  a  lengthy  conversation.  And  her 
curiosity  was  also  aroused ;  for,  though  Hyde  had 
often  been  in  the  store,  she  had  never  hitherto  seen 
him  in  such  a  sober  mood.  It  was  also  remarkable 
that  on  the  sabbath  her  grandfather  should  receive 
papers,  and  a  ring  which  she  watched  Hyde  take 
from  his  finger;  and  there  was,  beside,  a  solemn,  a 
final  air  about  the  transaction  which  gave  her  the 
feeling  of  some  anticipated  tragedy. 

When  at  last  they  rose,  Hyde  extended  his  hand. 
"Cohen,"  he  said,  "few  men  would  have  been  as 

fenerous  and,  at  this  hour,  as  considerate  as  you. 
have  judged  from  tradition,  and  misjudged  you. 
Whether  we  meet  again  or  not,  we  part  as  friends.'* 
"You  have  settled  all  things  as  a  gentleman,  cap- 
tain.   May  my  white  hairs  say  a  word  to  your  heart 


80  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

this  hour?"  Hyde  bowed;  and  he  continued,  in  a 
voice  of  serious  benignity :  "  The  words  of  the  Holy 
One  are  to  be  regarded,  and  not  the  words  of  men. 
Men  call  that  '  honor '  which  He  will  call  murder. 
What  excuse  is  there  in  your  lips  if  you  go  this 
night  into  his  presence  ?  " 

There  was  no  excuse  in  Hyde's  lips,  even  for  his 
mortal  interrogator.  He  merely  bowed  again,  and 
slipped  through  the  partially  opened  door  into  the 
busy  street.  Then  Cohen  put  clean  linen  upon  his 
head  and  arm,  and  went  and  stood  with  his  face  to 
the  east,  and  recited,  in  low,  rhythmical  sentences, 
the  prayer  called  the  "Assault."  Miriam  sat  quiet 
during  his  devotion ;  but,  when  he  returned  to  his 
place,  she  asked  him  plainly,  "  What  murder  is  there 
to  be,  grandfather  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  duel  between  Capt.  Hyde  and  another.  It 
shall  be  called  murder  at  the  last." 

"  The  other,  who  is  he  ?  " 

"  The  young  man  Semple." 

"I  am  sorry.  He  is  a  courteous  young  man.  I 
have  heard  you  say  so.  I  have  heard  you  speak 
•well  of  him." 

"  O  Miriam,  what  sin  and  sorrow  thy  sex  ever 
bring  to  those  who  love  it!  There  are  two  young 
lives  to  be  put  in  death  peril  for  the  smile  of  a 
woman, — a  very  girl  she  is." 

"  Do  I  know  her,  grandfather  ?  " 

"  She  passes  here  often.  The  daughter  of  Van 
Heemskirk,— the  little  fair  one,  the  child." 

"Oh,  but  now  I  am  twice  sorry!  She  has  smiled 
at  me  often.  We  have  even  spoken.  The  good  old 
man.  her  father,  will  die;  and  her  brother,  he  was 
always  like  a  watch-dog  at  her  side." 

"  But  not  the  angels  in  heaven  can  watch  a 
woman.  For  a  lover,  be  he  good  or  bad,  she  will 
put  heaven  behind  her  back,  and  stand  on  the  brink 
of  perdition.  Miriam,  if  thou  should  deceive  me, — 
as  thy  mother  did, — God  of  Israel,  may  I  not  know 
it!" 

"Though  I  die,  I  will  not  deceive  you,  grand- 
father." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  81 

"  The  Holy  One  hears  thee,  Miriam.  Let  Him  be 
between  us." 

Then  Cohen,  with  his  hands  on  his  staff,  and  his 
head  in  them,  sat  meditating,  perhaps  praying;  and 
the  hot,  silent  moments  went  slowly  away.  In  them, 
Miriam  was  coming  to  a  decision  which  at  first 
alarmed  her,  but  which,  as  it  grew  familiar,  grew 
also  lawful  and  kind.  She  was  quite  certain  that  her 
grandfather  would  not  interfere  between  the  young 
men,  and  probably  he  had  given  Hyde  his  promise 
not  to  do  so ;  but  she  neither  had  received  a  charge, 
nor  entered  into  any  obligation,  of  silence.  A  word 
to  Van  Heemskirk  or  to  the  Elder  Semple  would  be 
sufficient.  Should  she  not  say  it  ?  Her  heart  an- 
swered "  yes,"  although  she  did  not  clearly  perceive 
how  the  warning  was  to  be  given. 

Perhaps  Cohen  divined  her  purpose,  and  was  not 
unfavorable  to  it ;  for  he  suddenly  rose,  and,  putting 
on  his  cap,  said,  "  I  am  going  to  see  my  kinsman 
John  Cohen.  At  sunset,  set  wide  the  door:  an  hour 
after  sunset  I  will  return." 

As  soon  as  he  had  gone,  Miriam  wrote  to  Van 
Heemskirk  these  words :  "  Good  sir, — This  is  a  mat- 
ter of  life  and  death :  so  then,  come  at  once,  and  I 
will  tell  you.  MIRIAM  COHEN." 

With  the  slip  of  paper  in  her  hand,  she  stood  with- 
in the  door,  watching  for  some  messenger  she  could 
trust.  It  was  not  many  minutes  before  Van  Heems- 
kirk's  driver  passed,  leading  his  loaded  wagon ;  and 
to  him  she  gave  the  note. 

That  day  Joris  had  gone  home  earlier  than  usual, 
and  Brain  only  was  in  the  store.  But  it  was  part  of 
his.  duty  to  open  and  attend  to  orders,  and  he  sup- 
posed the  strip  of  paper  to  refer  to  a  barrel  of  flour 
or  some  other  household  necessity. 

Its  actual  message  was  so  unusual  and  unlocked 
for,  that  it  took  him  a  moment  or  two  to  realize  the 
words;  then,  fearing  it  might  be  some  practical 
joke,  he  recalled  the  driver,  and  heard  with  amaze- 
ment that  the  Jew's  granddaughter  had  herself 
given  him  the  message.  Assured  of  this  fact,  he 
answered  the  summons  for  his  father  promptly. 


82  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Miriam  was  waiting  just  within  the  door;  and. 
scarcely  heeding  his  explanation,  she  proceeded  at 
once  to  give  him  such  information  as  she  possessed. 
Bram  was  slow  of  thought  and  slow  of  speech.  He 
stood  gazing  at  the  beautiful,  earnest  girl,  and  felt 
all  the  fear  and  force  of  her  words;  but  for  some 
moments  he  could  not  speak,  nor  decide  on  his  first 
step. 

"  "Why  do  you  wait  ?  "  pleaded  Miriam.  "  At  sun- 
set, I  tell  yon.  It  is  now  near  it.  Oh,  no  thanks!  Do 
not  stop  for  them,  but  hasten  away  at  once." 

He  obeyed  like  one  in  a  dream;  but,  before  he 
reached  Sem pie's  store,  he  had  fully  realized  the  sit- 
uation. Semple  was  just  leaving  business.  He  put 
his  hand  on  him,  and  said,  "  Elder,  no  time  have 

you  to  lose.  At  sunset,  Neil  and  that  d English 

soldier,  a  duel  are  to  fight." 

"  Eh  ?  Where  ?  Who  told  you  ? 

"  On  the  KaJchhook  Hill.    Stay  not  for  talk." 

"  Kun  for  your  father,  Bram.  Run,  my  lad.  Get 
Van  Qaasbeeck's  light  wagon  as  you  go,  and  ask 
your  mother  for  a  mattress.  Dinna  stand  glowering 
at  me,  but  awa'  with  you.  I'll  tak'  twa  p'  my  am 
lads  and  my  ain  wagon,  and  be  there  instanter. 
God  help  me !  God  spare  the  lad !  " 

At  that  moment  Neil  and  Hyde  were  on  their  road 
to  the  fatal  spot.  Neil  had  been  gathering  anger  all 
day ;  Hyde,  a  vague  regret.  The  folly  of  what  they 
were  going  to  do  was  clear  to  both ;  but  Neil  was 
dominated  by  a  fury  of  passion,  which  made  the 
folly  a  revengeful  joy.  If  there  had  been  any 
thought  of  an  apology  in  Hyde's  heart,  he  must 
have  seen  its  hopelessness  in  the  white  wrath  of 
Neil's  face,  and  the  calm  deliberation  with  which  he 
assumed  and  prepared  for  a  fatal  termination  of  the 
affair. 

The  sun  dropped  as  the  seconds  measured  off  the 
space  and  offered  the  lot  for  the  standing  ground. 
Then  Neil  flung  off  his  coat  and  \vaistcoat,  and  stood 
with  bared  breast  on  the  spot  his  second  indicated. 
This  action  had  been  performed  in  such  a  passion  of 
hurry,  that  he  was  compelled  to  watcli  Hyde's  more 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  83 

calm  and  leisurely  movements.  He  removed  his 
fine  scarlet  coat  and  handed  it  to  Capt.  Earle,  and 
would  then  have  taken  his  sword ;  but  Beekman  ad- 
vanced to  remove  also  his  waistcoat.  The  suspicion 
implied  by  this  act  roused  the  soldier's  indignation. 
"  Do  you  take  me  to  be  a  person  of  so  little  honor  ?  " 
he  passionately  asked ;  and  then  with  his  own  hands 
he  tore  off  the  richly  embroidered  satin  garment, 
and  by  so  doing  exposed  what  perhaps  some  deli- 
cate feeling  had  made  him  wish  to  conceal, — a  bow 
of  orange  ribbon  which  he  wore  above  his  heart. 

The  sight  of  it  to  Neil  was  like  oil  flung  upon 
flame.  He  could  scarcely  restrain  himself  until  the 
word  "  go  "  gave  him  license  to  charge  Hyde,  which 
he  did  with  such  impetuous  rage,  that  it  was  evi- 
dent he  cared  less  to  preserve  his  own  life,  than  to 
slay  his  enemy. 

Hyde  was  an  excellent  swordsman,  and  had  fought 
several  duels;  but  he  was  quite  disconcerted  by  the 
deadly  reality  of  Neil's  attack.  In  the  second  thrust, 
his  foot  got  entangled  in  a  tuft  of  grass;  and,  in 
evading  a  lunge  aimed  at  his  heart,  he  fell  on  his 
right  side.  Supporting  himself,  however,  on  his 
sword  hand,  he  sprang  backward  with  great  dexter- 
ity, and  thus  escaped  the  probable  death-blow.  But, 
as  he  was  bleeding  from  a  wound  in  the  throat,  his 
second  interfered,  and  proposed  a  reconciliation. 
Neil  angrily  refused  to  listen.  He  declared  "  he  had 
not  come  to  enact  a  farce ;  "  and  then,  happening  to 
glance  at  the  ribbon  on  Hyde's  breast,  he  swore 
furiously,  "He  would  make  his  way  through  the 
body  of  any  man  who  stood  between  him  and  his 
just  anger." 

Up  to  this  point,  there  had  been  in  Hyde's  mind 
a  latent  disinclination  to  slay  Neil.  After  it,  he 
flung  away  every  kind  memory ;  and  the  fight  was 
renewed  with  an  almost  brutal  impetuosity,  until 
there  ensued  one  of  those  close  locks  which  it  was 
evident  nothing  but  "the  key  of  the  body  could 
open."  In  the  frightful  wrench  which  followed,  the 
swords  of  both  men  sprang  from  their  hands,  flying 
some  four  or  five  yards  upward  with  the  force. 


84  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Both  recovered  their  weapons  at  the  same  time,  and 
both,  bleeding  and  exhausted,  would  have  again  re- 
newed the  fight;  but  at  that  moment  Van  Heems- 
kirk  and  Semple,  with  their  attendants,  reached 
the  spot. 

Without  hesitation,  they  threw  themselves  be- 
tween the  young  men, — Van  Heemskirk  facing 
Hyde,  and  the  elder  his  son.  "  Neil,  you  dear  lad, 
you  born  fool,  gie  me  your  weapon  instanter,  sir!  " 
But  there  was  no  need  to  say  another  word.  Neil 
fell  senseless  upon  his  sword,  making  in  his  fall  a 
last  desperate  effort  to  reach  the  ribbon  on  Hyde's 
breast;  for  Hyde  had  also  dropped  fainting  to  the 

f  round,  bleeding  from  at  least  half  a  dozen  wounds, 
hen  one  of  Semple's  young  men,  who  had  probably 
divined  the  cause  of  quarrel,  and  who  felt  a  sympa- 
thy for  his  young  master,  made  as  if  he  would  pick 
up  the  fatal  bit  of  orange  satin,  now  dyed  crimson  in 
Hyde's  blood. 

But  Joris  pushed  the  rifling  hand  fiercely  away. 
"  To  touch  it  would  be  the  vilest  theft,"  he  said. 
"  His  own  it  is.  With  his  life  he  has  bought  it." 


CHAPTER  VII. 
AT  "THE  KING'S  ARMS." 

"  All  these  inconveniences  are  incidental  to  love,— reproaches 
jealousies,  quarrels,  reconcilements,  war,  and  then  peace."— Ter- 
ence. 

"  I  know  I  felt  Love's  face 

Pressed  on  my  neck,  with  moan  of  pity  and  grace, 
Till  both  our  heads  were  in  his  aureole." 

— Rossetti. 

THE  news  of  the  duel  spread  with  the  proverbial 
rapidity  of  evil  news.  At  the  doors  of  all  the  public 
houses,  in  every  open  shop,  on  every  private  stoop, 
and  at  the  street-corners,  people  were  soon  discuss- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  85 

Ing  the  event,  with  such  additions  and  comments  as 
their  imaginations  and  prejudices  suggested.  One 
party  insisted  that  lawyer  Semple  was  dead ;  an- 
other, that  it  was  the  English  officer ;  a  third,  that 
both  died  as  they  were  being  carried  from  the 
ground. 

Batavius,  who  had  lingered  to  the  last  moment  at 
the  house  which  he  was  building,  heard  the  story 
from  many  a  lip  as  he  went  home.  He  was  bitterly 
indignant  at  Katherine.  He  felt,  indeed,  a,s  if  his 
own  character  for  morality  of  every  kind  had  been 
smirched  by  his  intended  connection  with  her.  And 
his  Joanna !  How  wicked  Katherine  had  been  not 
to  remember  that  she  had  a  sister  whose  spotless 
name  would  be  tarnished  by  her  kinship !  He  was 
hot  with  haste  and  anger  when  he  reached  Van 
Heemskirk's  house. 

Madam  stood  with  "Joanna  on  the  front-stoop, 
looking  anxiously  down  the  road.  She  was  aware 
that  Bram  had  called  for  his  father,  and  she  had 
heard  them  leave  the  house  together  in  unexplained 
haste.  At  first,  the  incident  did  not  trouble  her 
much.  Perhaps  one  of  the  valuable  Norman  horses 
was  sick,  or  there  was  an  unexpected  ship  in,  or  an 
unusually  large  order.  Bram  was  a  young  man  who 
relied  greatly  on  his  father.  She  only  worried  be- 
cause supper  must  be  delayed  an  hour,  and  that  de- 
lay would  also  keep  back  the  completion  of  that  ex- 
quisite order  in  which  it  was  her  habit  to  leave  the 
house  for  the  Sabbath  rest. 

After  some  time  had  elapsed,  she  went  upstairs, 
and  began  to  lay  out  the  clean  linen  and  the  kirk 
clothes.  Suddenly  she  noticed  that  it  was  nearly 
dark  ;  and,  with  a  feeling  of  hurry  and  anxiety,  she 
remembered  the  delayed  meal.  Joanna  was  on  the 
front-stoop  watching  for  Batavius,  who  was  also  un- 
usually late;  and,  like  many  other  loving  women, 
she  could  think  of  nothing  good  which  might  have 
detained  him,  but  her  heart  was  full  only  of  evil  ap- 
prehensions. 

"Where  is  Katherine  ?  "  That  was  the  mother's 
first  question,  and  she  called  her  through  the  house. 


86  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

From  the  closed  best  parlor,  Katherine  came,  white 
and  weeping. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  then,  that  you  are  crying  ? 
And  why  into  the  dark  room  go  you  ?  " 

"Full  of  sorrow  I  am,  mother,  and  I  went  to  the 
room  to  pray  to  God  ;  but  I  cannot  pray." 

"  'Full  of  sorrow.'  Yes,  for  that  Englishman  you 
are  full  of  sorrow.  And  how  can  you  pray  when  you 
are  disobeying  your  good  father?  God  will  not 
hear  yo«u." 

The  mother  was  not  pitiless ;  but  she  was  anxious 
and  troubled,  and  Katherine's  grief  irritated  her  at 
the  moment.  "  Go  and  tell  Dinorah  to  bring  in  the 
tea.  The  work  of  the  house  must  go  on,"  she  mut- 
tered. "And  I  think,  that  it  was  Saturday  night, 
Joris  might  have  remembered." 

Then  she  went  back  to  Joanna,  and  stood  with 
her,  looking  through  the  gray  mist  down  the  road, 
and  feeling  even  the  croaking  of  the  frogs  and  the 
hum  of  the  insects  to  be  an  unusual  provocation. 
Just  as  Dinorah  said,  "The  tea  is  served,  madam," 
the  large  figure  of  Batavius  loomed  through  the 
gathering  grayness ;  and  the  women  waited  for  him. 
He  came  up  the  steps  without  his  usual  greeting; 
and  his  face  was  so  injured  and  portentous  that 
Joanna,  with  a  little  cry,  put  her  arms  round  his 
neck.  He  gently  removed  them. 

"  No  time  is  this,  Joanna,  for  embracing.  A  gpreat 
disgrace  has  come  to  the  family;  and  I,  who  nave 
always  stood  up  for  morality,  must  bear  it  too." 

"IMsgrace!  The  word  goes  not  with  our  name, 
Batavius ;  and  what  mean  you,  then  ?  In  one  word, 
speak." 

But  Batavius  loved  too  well  any  story  that  was  to 
be  wondered  over,  to  give  it  in  a  word ;  though 
madam's  manner  snubbed  him  a  little,  and  he  said, 
with  less  of  the  air  of  a  wronged  man,— 

"Well,  then,  Neil  Semple  and  Capt.  Hyde  have 
bought  a  duel.  That  is  what  comes  of  giving  way 
*o  passion.  I  never  fought  a  duel.  No  one  should 
make  me.  It  is  a  fixed  principle  with  me." 

"But  what  ?    And  how  ?  " 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  87 

"  With  swords  they  fought.  Like  two  devils  they 
fought,  as  if  to  pieces  they  would  cut  each  other." 

"  Poor  Neil!    His  fault,  I  am  sure,  it  was  not." 

"Joanna!  Neil  is  nearly  dead.  If  he  had  been 
in  the  right,  he  would  not  be  nearly  dead.  The 
Lord  does  not  forsake  a  person  who  is  in  the  right 
way." 

In  the  hall  behind  them,  Katherine  stood.  The 
pallor  of  her  face,  the  hopeless  droop  of  her  white 
shoulders  and  arms,  were  visible  in  its  gloomy 
shadows.  Softly  as  a  spirit  she  walked,  as  she  drew 
nearer  to  them. 

"  And  the  Englishman  ?    Is  he  hurt  !  " 

"  Killed.  He  has  at  least  twenty  wounds.  Till 
morning  he  will  not  live.  It  was  the  councillor  him- 
self who  separated  the  men." 

"  My  good  Joris,  it  was  like  him." 

For  a  moment  Katherine's  consciousness  reeled. 
The  roar  of  the  ocean  which  girds  our  life  round 
was  in  her  ears,  the  feeling  of  chill  and  collapse  at  her 
heart.  But  with  a  supreme  will  she  took  possession 
of  herself.  "Weak  I  will  not  be.  All  I  will  know. 
All  I  will  suffer."  And  with  these  thoughts  she 
went  back  to  the  room,  and  took  her  place  at  the 
table.  In  a  few  minutes  the  rest  followed.  Batavius 
did  not  speak  to  her.  It  was  also  something  of  a 
cross  to  him  that  madam  would  not  talk  of  the 
event.  He  did  not  think  that  Katherine  deserved 
to  have  her  ill-regulated  feelings  so  far  considered, 
and  he  had  almost  a  sense  of  personal  injury  in  the 
restraint  of  the  whole  household. 

He  had  anticipated  madam's  amazement  and 
shock.  He  had  felt  a  just  satisfaction  in  the  suffer- 
ing he  was  bringing  to  Katherine.  He  had  determ- 
ined to  point  out  to  Joanna  the  difference  between 
herself  and  her  sister,  and  the  blessedness  of  her 
own  lot  in  loving  so  respectably  and  prudently  as 
she  had  done.  But  nothing  had  happened  as  he  ex- 
pected. The  meal,  instead  of  being  pleasantly 
lengthened  over  such  dreadful  intelligence,  was 
hurried  and  silent.  Katherine,  instead  of  making 
herself  an  image  of  wailing  or  unconscious  remorse, 


88  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

sat  like  other  people  at  the  table,  and  pretended  to 
drink  her  tea. 

It  was  some  comfort  that  after  it  Joanna  and  he 
could  walk  in  the  garden  and  talk  the  affair  thor- 
oughly over.  Katherine  watched  them  away,  and 
then  she  fled  to  her  room.  For  a  few  minutes  she 
could  let  her  sorrow  have  way,  and  it  would  help 
her  to  bear  the  rest.  And  oh,  how  she  wept!  She 
took  from  their  hiding-place  the  few  letters  her 
lover  had  written  her,  and  she  mourned  over  them 
as  women  mourn  in  such  extremities.  She  kissed 
the  words  with  passionate  love;  she  vowed,  amid 
her  broken  ejaculations  of  tenderness,  to  be  faith- 
ful to  him  if  he  lived,  to  be  faithful  to  his  memory 
if  he  died.  She  never  thought  of  Neil;  or,  if  she 
did,  it  was  with  an  anger  that  frightened  her.  In 
the  full  tide  of  her  anguish,  Lysbet  stood  at  the 
door.  She  heard  the  inarticulate  words  of  woe,  and 
her  heart  ached  for  her  child.  She  had  followed  her 
to  give  her  comfort,  to  weep  with  her ;  but  she  felt 
that  hour  that  Katherine  was  no  more  a  child  to  be 
soothed  with  her  mother's  kiss.  She  had  become  a 
woman,  and  a  woman's  sorrow  had  found  her. 

It  was  near  ten  o'clock  when  Joris  came  home. 
His  face  was  troubled,  his  clothing  disarranged  and 
blood-stained ;  and  Lysbet  never  remembered  to 
have  seen  him  so  completely  exhausted.  "  Bram  is 
with  Neil,"  he  said  :  ".he  will  not  be  home." 

"And  thou?" 

"  I  helped  them  carry— the  other.  To  the  '  King's 
Arms'  we  took  him.  A  strong  man  was  needed 
until  their  work  the  surgeons  had  done.  I  staid ; 
that  is  all." 

"  Live  will  he  ?  " 

"  His  left  lung  is  pierced  through.  A  bad  wound 
in  the  throat  he  has.  At  death's  door  is  he,  from 
loss  of  the  blood.  But  then,  youth  he  has,  and  a 
great  spirit,  and  hope.  I  wish  not  for  his  death,  my 
God  knows." 

"  Neil,  what  of  him  ?  " 

"Unconscious  he  was  when  I  left  him  at  his 
home.  I  staid  not  there.  His  father  and  his  mother 


THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  89 

were  by  his  side ;  Bram  also.  Does  Katherine 
know  ?  " 

"She  knows." 

"  How  then  ?  " 

"  O  Joris,  if  in  her  room  thou  could  have  heard  her 
crying !  My  heart  for  her  aches,  the  sorrowful  one !  " 

"  See,  then,  that  this  lesson  she  miss  not.  It  is  a 
hard  one,  but  learn  it  she  must.  If  thy  love  would 
pass  it  by,  think  this,  for  her  good  it  is.  Many  bit- 
ter things  are  in  it.  What  unkind  words  will  now 
be  said !  Also,  my  share  in  the  matter  I  must  tell  in 
the  kirk  session ;  and  Dominie  de  Ronde  is  not  one 
slack  in  giving  the  reproof.  With  our  own  people, 
a  disgrace  it  will  be  counted.  Can  I  not  hear 
Van  Vleck  grumble,  '  Well,  now,  I  hope  Joris  Van 
Heemskirk  has  had  enough  of  his  fine  English  com- 
pany ; '  and  Elder  Brouwer  will  say,  '  He  must  marry 
his  daughter  to  an  Englishman ;  and,  see,  what  has 
come  of  it;'  and  that  evil  old  woman,  Madam  Van 
Corlaer,  will  shake  her  head  and  whisper,  '  Yes, 
neighbors,  and  depend  upon  it,  the  girl  is  of  a  light 
mind  and  bad  morals,  and  it  is  her  fault ;  and  I  shall 
take  care  my  nieces  to  her  speak  no  more.'  So  it 
will  be:  Katherine  herself  will  find  it  so." 

"  The  poor  child !  Sorry  am  I  she  ever  went  to 
Madam  Semple's  to  see  Mrs.  Gordon.  If  thy  word 
I  had  taken,  Joris!  " 

"  If  my  word  the  elder  also  had  taken.  When  first 
he  told  me  that  his  house  he  would  offer  to  the  Gor- 
dons, I  said  to  him,  'So  foolish  art  thou!  In  the 
end,  what  does  not  fit  will  fight.'  If  to-night  thou 
could  have  seen  Mistress  Gordon  when  she  heard  of 
her  nephew's  hurt.  Without  one  word  of  regret, 
without  one  word  of  thanks,  and  in  a  great  passion, 
she  left  the  house.  For  Neil  she  cared  not.  '  He 
had  been  'ever  an  envious  kill-joy.  He  had  ever 
hated  her  dear  Dick.  He  had  ever  been  jealous  of 
any  one  handsomer  than  himself.  He  was  a  black 
dog  in  the  manger;  and  she  hoped,  with  all  her 
heart,  that  Dick  had  done  for  him.'  Beside  herself 
with  grief  and  passion  she  was,  or  the  elder  had  not 
borne  so  patiently  her  words." 


90  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"As  her  own  son,  she  loved  him." 

"Yea,  Lysbet;  but  just  one  should  be.  Weary 
and  sad  am  I  to-night." 

The  next  morning  was  the  sabbath,  and  many 
painful  questions  suggested  themselves 'to  Jorisand 
Lysbet  Van  Heemskirk.  Joris  felt  that  he  must  not 
take  his  seat  among  the  deacons  until  he  had  been 
fully  exonerated  of  all  blame  of  blood-guiltiness  by 
the  dominie  and  his  elders  and  deacons  in  full  kirk 
session.  Madam  could  hardly  endure  the  thought 
of  the  glances  that  would  be  thrown  at  her  daughter, 
and  the  probable  slights  she  would  receive.  Bata- 
vius  plainly  showed  an  aversion  to  being  seen  in 
Katherine's  company.  But  these  things  did  not 
seem  to  Joris  a  sufficient  reason  for  neglecting 
worship.  He  thought  it  best  for  people  to  face  the 
unpleasant  consequences  of  wrong-doing;  and  he 
added,  "  In  trouble  also,  my  dear  ones,  where  should 
we  go  but  into  the  house  of  the  good  God  ?  " 

Katherine  had  not  spoken  during  the  discussion ; 
but,  when  it  was  over,  she  said,  "  Mljn  vader,  mijn 
moeder,  to-day  I  cannot  go!  For  me  have  some 
pity.  The  dominie  I  will  speak  to  first ;  and  what 
he  says,  I  will  do." 

"  Between  me  and  thy  moeder  thou  shalt  be." 

"Bear  it  I  cannot,  I  shall  fall  down.  I  shall  be 
ill ;  and  there  will  be  shame  and  fear,  and  the  service 
to  make  stop,  and  then  more  wonder  and  more  talk, 
and  the  dominie  angry  also!  At  home  I  am  the 
best." 

"  Well,  then,  so  it  shall  be." 

But  Joris  was  stern  to  Katherine,  and  his  auger 
added  the  last  bitterness  to  her  grief.  No  one  had 
said  a  word  of  reproach  to  her ;  but,  equally,  no  one 
had  said  a  word  of  pity.  Even  Joanna  was  shy  and 
cold,  for  Batavius  had'made  her  feel  that  one's  own 
sister  may  fall  below  moral  par  and  sympathy.  "  If 
either  of  the  men  die,"  he  had  said,  "I  shall  always 
consider  Katherine  guilty  of  murder ;  and  nowhere 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  we  told  to  forgive  murder, 
Joanna.  And  even  while  the  matter  is  uncertain,  is 
it  not  right  to  be  careful  ?  Are  we  not  told  to  avoid 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  91 

even  the  appearance  of  evil?"  So  that,  with  this 
charge  before  him,  BataVius  felt  that  countenancing 
Katherine  in  any  way  was  not  keeping  it. 

And  certainly  the  poor  girl  might  well  fear  the 
disapproval  of  the  general  public,  when  her  own 
family  made  her  feel  her  fault  so  keenly.  The  kirk 
that  morning  would  have  been  the  pillory  to  her. 
She  was  unspeakably  grateful  for  the  solitude  of  the 
house,  for  space  and  silence,  in  which  she  could  have 
the  relief  of  unrestrained  weeping.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  the  morning,  she  heard  Bram's  footsteps. 
She  divined  why  he  had  come  home,  and  she  shrank 
from  meeting  him  until  he  removed  the  clothing  he 
had  worn  during  the  night's  bloody  vigil. 

Bram  had  not  thought  of  Katherine's  staying, 
from  kirk;  and  when  she  confronted  him,  so  tear- 
stained  and  woe-begone,  his  heart  was  full  of  pity 
for  her.  "  My  poor  little  Katherine !  "  he  said  ;  and 
she  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and  sobbed 
upon  his  breast  as  if  her  heart  would  break. 

"  Mijn  Jcleintje,  who  has  grieved  thee  ?  " 

"  O  Bram !  is  he  dead  ?  " 

"Who?  Neil?  I  think  he  will  get  well  once 
more." 

"  What  care  I  for  Neil  ?  The  wicked  one !  I  wish 
that  he  might  die.  Yes,  that  I  do." 

"  Whish !— that  is  wrong." 

"  Bram !  Bram !  A  little  pity  give  me.  It  is  the 
other  one.  Hast  thou  heard  ?  " 

"  How  can  he  live  ?  Look  at  that  sorrow,  dear 
one,  and  ask  God  to  forgive  and  help  thee." 

"  No,  I  will  not  look  at  it.  I  will  ask  God  every 
moment  that  he  may  get  well.  Could  I  help  that  I 
should  love  him  ?  So  kind,  so  generous,  is  he !  Oh, 
my  dear  one,  my  dear  one,  would  I  had  died  for 
thee!" 

Bram  was  much  moved.  Within  the  last  twenty- 
four  hours  he  had  begun  to  understand  the  tempta- 
tion in  which  Katherine  had  been ;  begun  to  under- 
stand that  love  never  asks,  '  What  is  thy  name  ?  Of 
what  country  art  thou  ?  Who  is  thy  father  ?  '  He 
felt  that  so  long  as  he  lived  he  must  remember 


92  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Miriam  Cohen  as  she  stood  talking  to  him  in  the 
shadowy  store.  Beauty  like  hers  was  strange  an-d 
wonderful  to  the  young  Dutchman.  He  could  not 
forget  her  large  eyes,  soft  and  brown  as  gazelles ; 
the  warm  pallor  and  brilliant  carnation  of  her  com- 
plexion ;  her  rosy,  tender  mouth ;  her  abundant 
black  hair,  fastened  with  large  golden  pins,  studded 
with  jewels.  He  could  not  forget  the  grace  of  her 
figure,  straight  and  slim  as  a  young-palm  tree,  clad 
in  a  plain  dark  garment,  and  a  neckerchief  of  white 
India  silk  falling  away  from  her  exquisite  throat. 
He  did  not  yet  know  that  he  was  in  love;  he  only 
felt  how  sweet  it  was  to  sit  still  and  dream  of  the 
dim  place,  and  the  splendidly  beautiful  girl  standing 
among  its  piled  up  furniture  and  its  hanging  drap- 
eries. And  this  memory  of  Miriam  made  him  very 
pitiful  to  Katherine. 

"  Every  one  is  angry  at  me,  Bram,  even  my  father ; 
and  Batavius  will  not  sit  on  the  chair  at  my  side ; 
and  Joanna  says  a  great  disgrace  I  have  made  for 
her.  And  thou  ?  Wilt  thou  also  scold  me  ?  I  think 
I  shall  die  of  grief." 

"  Scold  thee,  thou  little  one  ?  That  I  will  not. 
And  those  that  are  angry  with  thee  may  be  angry 
with  me  also.  And  if  there  is  any  comfort  I  can  get 
thee,  tell  thy  brother  Bram.  He  will  count  thee 
first,  before  all  others.  How  could  they  make  thee 
weep  ?  Cruel  are  they  to  do  so.  A-nd  as  for  Bata- 
vius, mind  him  not.  Not  much  I  think  of  Batavius ! 
If  he  says  this  or  that  to  thee,  I  will  answer  him." 

"Bram!  my  Bram!  my  brother!  There  is  one 
comfort  for  me,— if  I  knew  that  he  still  lived ;  if  one 
hope  thou  could  give  me!  " 

"  What  hope  there  is,  I  will  go  and  see.  Before 
they  are  back  from  kirk,  I  will  be  back ;  and,  if  there 
is  good  news,  I  will  be  glad  for  thee." 

Not  half  an  hour  was  Bram  away ;  and  yet,  to  the 
miserable  girl,  how  grief  and  fear  lengthened  out 
the  moments !  She  tried  to  prepare  herself  for  the 
worst ;  she  tried  to  strengthen  her  soul  even  for  the 
message  of  death.  But  very  rarely  is  any  grief  as 
bad  as  our  own  terror  of  it.  When  Bram  came  back, 
it  was  with  a  word  of  hope  on  his  lips. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  93 

"I  have  seen,"  he  said,  "who  dost  thou  think  ? — 
the  Jew  Cohen.  He  of  all  men,  he  has  sat  by  Capt. 
Hyde's  side  all  night ;  and  he  has  dressed  the  wound 
the  English  surgeon  declared  'beyond  mortal  skill.' 
And  he  said  to  me,  '  Three  times,  in  the  Persian 
desert,  I  have  cured  wounds  still  worse,  and  the 
Holy  One  hath  given  me  the  power  of  healing;  and, 
if  He  wills,  the  young  man  shall  recover.'  That  is 
what  he  said,  Katherine." 

"Forever  I  will  love  the  Jew.  Though  he  fail,  I 
will  love  him.  So  kind  he  is,  even  to  those  who 
have  not  spoken  well,  nor  done  well,  to  him." 

"So  kind,  also,  was  the  Son  of  David  to  all  of  us. 
Now,  then,  go  wash  thy  face,  and  take  comfort  and 
courage." 

"Bram,  leave  me  not." 

"  There  is  Neil.  We  have  been  companions ;  and 
his  father  and  his  mother  are  old,  and  need  me." 

"Also,  I  need  thee.  All  the  time  they  will  make 
me  to  feel,  how  wicked  is  Katherine  Van  Heems- 
kirk!" 

At  this  moment  the  family  returned  from  the 
morning  service,  and  Bram  rather  defiantly  drew  his 
sister  to  his  side.  Joris  was  not  with  them.  He  had 
stopped  at  the  "  King's  Arms  "  to  ask  if  Capt.  Hyde 
was  still  alive;  for,  in  spite  of  every  thing,  the 
young  man's  heroic  cheerfulness  in  the  agony  of  the 
preceding  night  had  deeply  touched  Joris.  No  one 
spoke  to  Katherine ;  even  her  mother  was  annoyed 
and  humiliated  at  the  social  ordeal  through  which 
they  had  just  passed,  and  she  thought  it  only  reason- 
able that  the  erring  girl  should  be  made  to  share  the 
trial.  Batavius,  however,  had  much  curiosity ;  and 
his  first  thought  on  seeing  Bram  at  home  was, 
"Neil  is  of  course  dead,  and  Bram  is  of  no  further 
use ;  "and,  in  the  tone  of  one  personally  injured  by 
such  a  fatality,  he  ejaculated, — 

"  So  it  is  the  end,  then.  On  the  sabbath  day  Neil 
has  gone.  If  it  should  be  the  sabbath  day  in  the 
other  world,— which  is  likely,— it  will  be  the  worse 
for  Neil." 

"  What  mean  you  ?  " 


94  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  Is  not  Neil  Semple  dead  ?  " 

"  No.    I  think,  also,  that  he  will  live." 

"  I  ain  glad.    It  is  good  for  Katherine." 

"I  see  it  not." 

"Well,  then,  if  he  dies,  is  it  not  Katheriners 
fault ! " ' 

"Heaven  and  hell!  No!  Katherine  is  not  to 
blame." 

"  All  respectable  and  moral  people  will  say  so." 

"  Better  for  them  not  to  say  so.  If  I  hear  of  it, 
then  I  will  make  them  say  it  to  my  face." 

"Then?    Well?" 

"I  have  my  hands  and  my  feet,  for  them — to 
punish  their  tongues." 

"And  the  kirk  session  ?  " 

"Oh,  I  care  not!  What  is  the  kirk  session  to  my 
little  Katherine  ?  Batavius,  if  man  or  woman  you 
hear  speak  ill  of  her,  tell  them  it  is  not  Katherine, 
but  Bram  Van  Heemskirk,  that  will  bring  every 
thing  back  to  them.  What  words  I  say,  them  I 
mean." 

"Oh,  yes!  And  mind  this,  Bram,  the  words  I 
think,  them  words  I  will  say,  whether  you  like  them 
or  like  them  not." 

"As  the  wind  you  bluster, — on  the  sabbath  day, 
also.  In  your  ship  I  sail  not,  Batavius. — Good-by, 
then,  Katb^rine ;  and  if  any  are  unkind  to  thee,  tell 
thy  brother.  For  thou  art  right,  and  not  wrong." 

But,  though  Bram  bravely  championed  his  sister, 
he  could  not  protect  her  from  those  wicked  inuendos 
disseminated  for  the  gratification  of  the  virtuous; 
nor  from  those  malicious  regrets  of  very  good  people 
over  rumors  which  they  declare  to  "be  incredible," 
and  yet  which,  nevertheless,  they  "unfortunately 
believe  to  be  too  true."  The  Scotch  have  a  national 
precept  which  says,  "Never  speak  ill  of  the  dead." 
Would  it  not  be  much  better  to  speak  no  ill  of  the 
living?  Little  could  it  have  mattered  to  Madam 
Bogardus  or  Madam  Stuyvesant  what  a  lot  of  silly 
people  said  of  them  in  Pearl  Street  or  Maiden  Lane, 
a  century  after  their  death ;  but  poor  Katherine  Van 
Heemskirk  shivered  and  sickened  in  the  presence  of 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  95 

averted  eyes  and  uplifted  shoulders,  and  in  that 
chill  atmosphere  of  disapproval  which  separated  her 
from  the  sympathy  and  confidence  of  her  old  friends 
and  acquaintances. 

"It is  thy  punishment,"  said  her  mother;  "bear it 
bravely  and  patiently.  In  a  little  while,  it  will  be 
forgot."  But  the  weeks  went  on,  and  the  wounded 
men  slowly  fought  death  away  from  their  pillows, 
and  Katherine  did  not  recover  the  place  in  social 
estimation  which  she  had  lost  through  the  ungovern- 
able tempers  of  her  lovers.  For,  alas,  there  are  few 
social  pleasures  that  have  so  much  vital  power  as 
that  of  exploring  the  faults  of  others,  and  comparing 
them  with  pur  own  virtues! 

But  nothing  ill  lasts  forever;  and  in  three  months 
Neil  Semple  was  in  his  office  again,  wan  and  worn 
with  fever  and  suffering,  and  wearing  his  sword  arm 
in  a  sling,  but  still  decidedly  world-like  and  life- 
like. It  was  characteristic  of  Neil  that  few,  even  of ' 
his  intimates,  cared  to  talk  of  the  duel  to  him,  to 
make  any  observations  on  his  absence,  or  any  in- 
quiries about  his  health.  But  it  was  evident  that 
public  opinion  was  in  a  large  measure  with  him. 
Every  young  Provincial,  who  resented  the  domineer- 
ing spirit  of  the  army,  felt  Hyde's  punishment  in  the 
light  of  a  personal  satisfaction.  Beekman  also  had 
talked  highly  of  the  unbending  spirit  and  physical 
bravery  of  his  principal;  and  though  in  the  Middle 
Kirk  the  affair  was  sure  to  be  the  subject  of  a  re- 
proof, and  of  a  suspension  of  its  highest  privileges, 
yet  it  was  not  difficult  to  feel  that  sympathy  often 
given  to  deeds  publicly  censured,  but  privately 
admired.  Joris  remarked  tjiis  spirit  with  a  little 
astonishment  and  dissent.  He  could  not  find  in  his 
heart  any  excuse  for  either  Neil  or  Hyde ;  and,  when 
the  elder  enlarged  with  some  acerbity  upon  the 
requirements  of  honor  among  men,  Joris  offended 
him  by  replying,— 

"Well,  then,  elder,  little  I  think  of  that  'honor* 
which  runs  not  with  the  laws  of  God  and  country." 

"Let  me  tell  you,  Joris,  the  'voice  of  the  people  is 
the  voice  of  God,'  in  a  measure;  and  you  may  see 


96  THL-  BOW  OF  ORAXCE  HiniiOX. 

with  your  ain  e'en  that  it  mair  than  acquits  Neil  o' 
wrong-doing.  Man,  Joris !  would  you  punish  a  fair 
sword-fight  wi'  the  hangman  ?  " 

"A  better  way  there  is.  In  the  pillory  I  would 
stand  these  men  of  honor,  who  of  their  own  feelings 
think  more  than  of  the  law  of  God.  A  very  quick 
end  that  punishment  would  put  to  a  custom  wicked 
and  absurd." 

"  Weel,  Joris,  we'll  hae  no  quarrel  anent  the  ques- 
tion. You  are  a  Dutchman,  and  hae  practical  ideas 
o'  things  in  general.  Honor  is  a  virtue  that  canna 
be  put  in  the  Decalogue,  like  idolatry  and  murder 
and  theft." 

"  Say  you  the  Decalogue  ?  Its  yea  and  nay  are 
enough.  Harder  than  any  of  God's  laws  are  the 
laws  we  make  for  ourselves.  Little  I  think  of  their 
justice  and  wisdom.  If  right  was  Neil,  if  wrong  was 
Hyde,  honor  punished  both.  A  very  foolish  law  is 
honor,  I  think." 

"  Here  comes  Neil,  and  we'll  let  the  question  fa'  to 
the  ground.  There  are  wiser  men  than  either  you  or 
I  on  baith  sides." 

Joris  nodded  gravely,  and  turned  to  welcome  the 
young  man.  More  than  ever  he  liked  him  ;  for,  apart 
from  moral  and  prudential  reasons,  it  was  easy  for  the 
father  to  forgive  an  unreasonable  love  for  his  Kath- 
arine. Also,  he  was  now  more  anxious  for  a  mar- 
riage between  Neil  and  his  daughter.  It  was  indeed 
the  best  thing  to  fully  restore  her  to  the  social  es- 
teem of  her  own  people ;  for  by  making  her  his  wife, 
Neil  would  most  emphatically  exonerate  her  from  all 
blame  in  the  quarrel.  Just  this  far,  and  no  farther, 
had  Neil's  three  months'  suffering  aided  his  suit, — 
he  had  now  the  full  approval  of  Joris,  backed  by  the 
weight  of  this  social  justification. 

But,  in  spite  of  these  advantages,  he  was  really 
much  farther  away  from  Katherine.  The  three 
months  had  been  full  of  mental  suffering  to  her,  and 
she  blamed  Neil  entirely  for  it.  She  had  heard  from 
Bram  the  story  of  the  challenge  and  the  fight;  heard 
how  patiently  Hyde  had  parried  Neil's  attack  rather 
than  return  it,  until  Xeil  had  so  passionately  re- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  97 

fused  any  satisfaction  less  than  his  life ;  heard,  also, 
how  even  at  the  point  of  death,  fainting  and  falling, 
Hyde  had  tried  to  protect  her  ribbon  at  his  breast. 
She  never  wearied  of  talking  with  Bram  on  the  sub- 
ject; she  thought  of  it  all  day,  dreamed  of  it  all 
night. 

And  she  knew  much  more  about  it  than  her  parents 
or  Joanna  supposed.  Bram  had  easily  fallen  into 
the  habit  of  calling  at  Cohen's  to  ask  after  his  pa- 
tient. He  would  have  gone  for  his  sister's  comfort 
alone,  but  it  was  also  a  great  pleasure  to  himself.  At 
first  he  saw  Miriam  often ;  and,  when  he  did,  life  be- 
came a  heavenly  thing  to  Bram  Van  Heemskirk. 
And  though  latterly  it  was  always  the  Jew  himself 
who  answered  his  questions,  there  was  at  least  the 
hope  that  Miriam  would  be  in  the  store,  and  lift  her 
eyes  to  him,  or  give  him  a  smile  or  a  few  words  of 
greeting.  Katherine  very  soon  suspected  how  mat- 
ters stood  with  her  brother,  and  gratitude  led  her  to 
talk  with  him  about  the  lovely  Jewess.  Every  day 
she  listened  with  apparent  interest  to  his  descrip- 
tions of  Miriam,  as  he  had  seen  her  at  various  times; 
and  every  day  she  felt  more  desirous  to  know  the 
girl  whom  she  was  certain  Bram  deeply  loved. 

But  for  some  weeks  after  the  duel  she  could  not 
bear  to  leave  the  house.  It  was  only  after  both  men 
were  known  to  be  recovering,  that  she  ventured  to 
kirk;  and  her  experience  there  was  not  one  which 
tempted  her  to  try  the  streets  and  the  stores.  How- 
ever, no  interest  is  a  living  interest  in  a  community 
but  politics ;  and  these  probably  retain  their  power 
because  change  is  their  element.  People  eventually 
got  weary  to  death  of  Neil  Semple  and  Capt.  Hyde 
and  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk.  The  subject  had 
been  discussed  in  every  possible  light;  and,  when  it 
was  known  that  neither  of  the  men  was  going  to  die, 
gossipers  felt  as  if  they  had  been  somewhat  de- 
frauded, and  the  topic  lost  every  touch  of  specula- 
tion. 

Also,  far  more  important  events  had  now  the  pub- 
lic attention.  During  the  previous  March,  the  Stamp 
Act  and  the  Quartering  Act  had  passed  both  houses 


98  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

of  Parliament;  and  Virginia  and  Massachusetts, 
conscious  of  their  dangerous  character,  had  roused 
the  fears  of  the  other  Provinces ;  and  a  convention 
of  their  delegates  was  appointed  to  meet  during  Oc- 
tober in  New  York.  It  was  this  important  session 
which  drew  NeilSemple,  with  scarcely  healed  wounds, 
from  his  chamber.  The  streets  were  noisy  with 
hawkers  crying  the  dectected  Acts,  and  crowded  with 
groups  of  stern-looking  men  discussing  them.  And, 
with  the  prospect  of  soldiers  quartered  in  every 
home,  women  had  a  real  grievance  to  talk  over ;  and 
Katherine  Van  Heemskirk's  love-affair  became  an 
intrusion  and  a  bore,  if  any  one  was  foolish  enough 
to  name  it. 

It  was  during  this  time  of  excitement  that  Kath- 
erine said  one  morning,  at  breakfast,  "  Bram,  wait 
one  minute  for  me.  I  am  going  to  Kip's  store  for 
my  mother." 

"It  is  a  bad  time,  Katherine,  you  have  chosen," 
said  Batavius.  "  Full  of  men  are  the  streets,  angry 
men  too,  and  of  swaggering  British  soldiers,  whom 
it  would  be  a  great  pleasure  to  tie  up  in  a  halter. 
The  British  I  nate, — bullying  curs,  every  one  of 
them !  " 

"  Well,  I  know  that  you  hate  the  British,  Batavius. 
You  say  so  every  hour." 

"Katherine!  " 

"That  is  so,  Joanna." 

Madam  looked  annoyed.  Joris  rose,  and  said, 
"Come  then,  Katherine,  thou  shalt  go  with  me  and 
with  Bram  both.  Batavius  need  not  then  fear  for 
thee." 

His  voice  was  so  tender  that  Katherine  felt  an  un- 
usual happiness  and  exaltation;  and  she  was  also 
young  enough  to  be  glad  to  see  the  familiar  streets 
again,  and  to  feel  the  pulse  of  their  vivid  life  make 
her  heart  beat  quicker. 

At  Kip's  store,  Bram  left  her.  She  had  felt  so  free 
and  unremarked,  that  she  said,  "  Wait  not  for  me, 
Bram.  By  myself  I  will  go  home.  Or  perhaps  I 
might  call  upon  Miriam  Cohen.  What  dost  thou 
think  ?  "  And  Bram's  large,  handsome  face  flushed 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  99 

like  a  girl's  with  pleasure  as  he  answered,  "  That  I 
would  like,  and  there  thou  could  rest  until  the  din- 
ner-hour. As  I  go  home,  I  could  call  for  thee." 

So,  after  selecting  the  goods  her  mother  needed 
at  Kip's,  Katherine  was  going  up  Pearl  Street,  when 
she  heard  herself  called  in  a  familiar  and  urgent 
voice.  At  the  same  moment  a  door  was  flung  open  ; 
and  Mrs.  Gordon,  running  down  the  few  steps,  put 
her  hand  upon  the  girl's  shoulder. 

"Oh,  my  dear,  this  is  a  piece  of  good  fortune  past 
belief!  Come  into  my  lodgings.  Oh,  indeed  you  shall! 
I  will  have  no  excuse.  Surely  you  owe  Dick  and  me 
some  reward  after  the  pangs  we  have  suffered  for 
you." 

She  was  leading  Katherine  into  the  house  as  she 
spoke;  and  Katherine  had  not  the  will,  and  there- 
fore not  the  power,  to  oppose  her.  She  placed  the 
girl  by  her  side  on  the  sofa ;  she  took  her  hands, 
and,  with  a  genuine  grief  and  love,  told  her  all  that 
"  poor  Dick  "  had  suffered  and  was  still  suffering  for 
her  sake. 

"  It  was  the  most  unprovoked  challenge,  my  dear; 
and  Neil  Semple  behaved  like  a  savage,  I  assure  you. 
When  Dick  was  bleeding  from  half  a  dozen  wounds, 
a  gentleman  would  have  been  satisfied,  and  ac- 
cepted the  mediation  of  the  seconds;  but  Neil,  in  his 
blind  passion,  broke  the  code  to  pieces.  A  man  who 
can  dp  nothing  but  be  in  a  rage  is  a  ridiculous  and 
offensive  animal.  Have  you  seen  him  since  his  re- 
covery ?  For  I  hear  that  he  has  crawled  out  of  his 
bed  again." 

"  Him  I  have  not  seen." 

"Gracious  powers,  miss!  Is  that  all  you  say, 
*  Him  I  have  not  seen  '  ?  Make  me  patient  with  so 
insensible  a  creature !  Here  am  I  almost  distracted 
with  my  three  months'  anxiety ;  and  poor  Dick,  so 

fone  as  to  be  past  knowledge,  breaking  his  true 
eart  for  a  sight  of  you ;  and  you  answer  me  as  if  I 
had  asked,  '  Pray,  have  you  seen  the  newspaper  to- 
day ? ' " 

Then  Katherine  covered  her  face,  and  sobbed  with 
a  hopelessness  and  abandon  that  equally  fretted 


100  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Mrs.  Gordon.  "  I  wish  I  knew  one  corner  of  this 
world  inaccessible  to  lovers,"  she  cried.  "  Of  all 
creatures,  they  are  the  most  ridiculous  and  unrea- 
sonable. Now,  what  are  you  crying  for,  child  ?  " 

"If  I  could  only  see  Richard,— only  see  him  for 
one  moment!  " 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  am  going  to  propose. 
He  will  get  better  when  he  has  seen  you.  I  will  call 
a  coach,  and  we  will  go  at  once." 

"Alas!  Go  I  dare  not.  My  father  and  my 
mother! " 

"  And  Dick, — what  of  Dick,  poor  Dick,  who  is  dy- 
ing for  you  ?  "  She  went  to  the  door,  and  gave  the 
order  for  a  coach.  "  Your  lover,  Katherine.  Child, 
have  you  no  heart  ?  Shall  I  tell  Dick  you  would 
not  come  with  me  ?  " 

"  Be  not  so  cruel  to  me.  That  you  have  seen  me 
at  all,  why  need  you  say  ?  " 

"Oh!  indeed,  miss,  do  not  imagine  yourself  the 
only  person  who  values  the  truth.  Dick  always 
asks  me,  'Have  you  seen  her?  '  'Tis  my  humor  to 
be  truthful,  and  I  am  always  swayed  by  my  inclina- 
tion. I  shall  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  inform  him 
how  indifferent  you  are.  Katherine,  put  on  your 
bonnet  again.  Here  also  are  my  veil  and  cloak.  No 
one  will  perceive  that  it  is  you.  It  is  the  part  of 
humanity,  I  assure  you.  Do  so  much  for  a  poor 
soul  who  is  at  the  grave's  mputh-.'^ 

"  My  father,  I  promised  him  " — 

"O  child!  have  six  pennyworth  of  common  feel, 
ing  about  you.  The  man  is  dying  for  your  sake. 
If  he  were  your  enemy,  instead  of  your  true  lover, 
you  might  pity  him  so  much.  Do  you  not  wish  to 
see  Dick?" 

"  My  life  for  his  life  I  would  give." 

"  Words,  words,  my  dear.  It  is  not  your  life  he 
wants.  He  asks  only  ten  minutes  of  your  time. 
And  if  you  desire  to  see  him,  give  yourself  the 
pleasure.  There  is  nothing  more  silly  than  to  be 
too  wise  to  be  happy." 

While  thus  alternately  urging  and  persuading 
Katherine,  the  coach  came,  the  disguise  was  as- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  101 

sumed,  and  the  two  drove  rapidly  to  the  "  King's 
Arms."  Hyde  was  lying  upon  a  couch  which  had 
been  drawn  close  to  the  window.  But  in  order  to 
secure  as  much  quiet  as  possible,  he  had  been 
placed  in  one  of  the  rooms  at  the  rear  of  the  tavern, 
— a  large,  airy  room,  looking  into  the  beautiful  gar- 
den which  stretched  away  backward  as  far  as  the 
river.  He  had  been  in  extremity.  He  was  yet  too 
weak  to  stand,  too  weak  to  endure  long  the  strain 
of  company  or  books  or  papers. 

He  heard  his  aunt's  voice  and  footfall,  and  felt,  as 
he  always  did,  a  vague  pleasure  in  her  advent. 
Whatever  of  life  came  into  his  chamber  of  suffering 
came  through  her.  She  brought  him  daily  such  in- 
telligences as  she  thought  conducive  to  his  recovery ; 
and  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  it  was  not  always 
her  "humor  to  be  truthful."  For  Hyde  had  so 
craved  news  of  Katherine,  that  she  believed  he 
would  die  wanting  it;  and  she  had  therefore  fallen, 
without  one  conscientious  scruple,  into  the  reporter's 
temptation,— inventing  the  things  which  ought  to 
have  taken  place,  and  did  not.  "  For,  in  faith, 
Nigel,"  she  said  to  her  husband,  in  excuse,  "those 
who  have  nothing  to  tell  must  tell  lies." 

Her  reports  had  been  ingenious  and  diversified. 
"  She  had  seen  Katherine  at  one  of  the  windows, — 
the  very  picture  of  distraction."  "She  had  been 
told  that  Katherine  was  breaking  her  heart  about 
him;"  also,  "that  Elder  Semple  and  Councillor 
Van  Heemskirk  had  quarrelled  because  Katherine 
had  refused  to  see  Neil,  and  the  elder  blamed  Van 
Heemskirk  for  not  compelling  her  obedience." 
Whenever  Hyde  had  been  unusually  depressed  or 
unusually  nervous,  Mrs.  Gordon  had  always  had 
some  such  comforting  fiction  ready.  Now,  here  was 
the  real  Katherine.  Her  very  presence,  her  smiles, 
her  tears,  her  words,  would  be  a  consolation  so  far 
beyond  all  hope,  that  the  girl  by  her  side  seemed  a 
kind  of  miracle  to  her. 

She  was  far  more  than  a  miracle  to  Hyde.  As  the 
door  opened,  he  slowly  turned  his  head.  When  he 
saw  who  was  really  there,  he  uttered  a  low  cry  of 


102  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Joy, — a  cry  pitiful  in  its  shrill  weakness.  In  a  mo- 
ment Katherine  was  close  to  his  side.  This  was  no 
time  for  coyness,  and  she  was  too  tender  and  true  a 
woman  to  feel  or  to  affect  it.  She  kissed  his  hands 
and  face,  and  whispered  on  his  lips  the  sweetest 
words  of  love  and  fidelity.  Hyde  was  in  a  rapture. 
His  joyful  soul  made  his  pale  face  luminous.  He 
lay  still,  speechless,  motionless,  watching  and  listen- 
ing to  her. 

Mrs.  Gordon  had  removed  Katherine's  veil  and 
cloak,  and  considerately  withdrawn  to  a  mirror  at 
the  extremity  of  the  room,  where  she  appeared  to 
be  altogether  occupied  with  her  own  ringlets.  But, 
indeed,  it  was  with  Katherine  and  Hyde  one  of  those 
supreme  hours  when  love  conquers  every  other  feel- 
ing. Before  the  whole  world  they  would  have 
avowed  their  affection,  their  pity,  and  their  truth. 

Hyde  could  speak  little,  but  there  was  no  need  of 
speech.  Had  he  not  nearly  died  for  her  ?  Was  not 
his  very  helplessness  a  plea  beyond  the  power  of 
words  ?  She  had  only  to  look  at  the  white  shadow 
of  humanity  holding  her  hand,  and  remember  the 
gay,  gallant,  handsome  soldier  who  had  wooed  her 
under  the  water-beeches,  to  feel  that  all  the  love  of 
her  life  was  top  little  to  repay  his  devotion.  And  so 
quickly,  so  quickly,  went  the  happy  moments!  Ere 
Katherine  had  half  said,  "  I  love  thee,"  Mrs.  Gordon 
reminded  her  that  it  was  near  the  noon ;  "  and  I 
have  an  excellent  plan,"  she  continued:  "you  can 
leave  my  veil  and  cloak  in  the  coach,  and  I  will 
leave  you  at  the  first  convenient  place  near  your 
home.  At  the  turn  of  the  road,  one  sees  nobody 
but  your  excellent  father  or  brother,  or  perhaps 
Justice  Van  Gaasbeeck,  all  of  whom  we  may  avoid, 
if  you  will  but  consider  the  time." 

"  Then  we  must  part,  my  Katherine,  for  a  little. 
When  will  you  come  again  ?  " 

This  was  a  painful  question,  because  Katherine 
felt,  that,  however  she  might  excuse  herself  for  the 
unforeseen  stress  of  pity  that  all  unaware  had  hur- 
ried her  into  this  interview,  she  knew  she  could  not 
find  the  same  apology  for  one  deliberate  and  pre- 
arranged. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  103 

"Only  once  more,"  Hyde  pleaded.  "I  had,  my 
Katherine,  so  many  things  to  say  to  you.  In  my 
joy,  I  forgot  all.  Come  but  once  more.  Upon  my 
honor,  I  promise  to  ask  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk 
only  this  once.  To-morrow?  'No.'  Two  days 
hence,  then  ?  " 

"  Two  days  hence  I  will  come  again.  Then  no 
more." 

He  smiled  at  her,  and  put  out  his  hands ;  and  she 
knelt  again  by  his  side,  and  kissed  her  "  farewell  " 
on  his  lips.  And,  as  she  put  on  again  her  cloak  and 
veil,  he  drew  a  small  volume  toward  him,  and  with 
trembling  hands  tore  out  of  it  a  scrap  of  paper,  and 
gave  it  to  her. 

Under  the  lilac  hedge  that  night  she  read  it,  read 
it  over  and  over, — the  bit  of  paper  made  almost 
warm  and  sentient  by  Phcedria's  tender  petition  to 
his  beloved, — 

"When  you  are  in  company  with  that  other  man, 
behave  as  if  you  were  absent;  but  continue  to  love 
me  by  day  and  by  night ;  want  me,  dream  of  me, 
expect  me,  think  of  me,  wish  for  me,  delight  in  me, 
be  wholly  with  me :  in  short,  be  my  very  soul,  as  I 
am  yours." 


CHAPTER  VIH. 

"THE  SILVER  LINK,  THE  SILKEN  TIE." 
"Love's  reason's  without  reason." 

"  Let  determined  things  to  destiny 
Hold  unbe wailed  their  way," 

"  A  very  merry,  dancing,  drinking, 
Laughing,  quaffing,  and  unthinking  time.'* 

IF  Katherine  had  lived  at  this  day,  she  would 
probably  have  spent  the  time  between  her  promise 
and  its  fulfilment  in  self-analysis  and  introspective 


104  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

reasoning  with  her  own  conscience.  But  the  women 
of  a  century  ago  were  not  tossed  about  with  winds 
of  various  opinions,  or  made  foolishly  subtile  by 
arguments  about  principles  which  ought  never  to  be 
associated  with  dissent.  A  few  strong,  plain  dic- 
tates had  been  set  before  Katherine  as  the  law  of 
her  daily  life ;  and  she  knew,  beyond  all  controversy, 
when  she  disobeyed  them. 

In  her  own  heart,  she  called  the  sin  she  had  de- 
termined to  commit  by  its  most  unequivocal  name. 
"I  shall  make  happy  Bichard  ;  but  my  father  I  shall 
deceive  and  disobey,  and  against  my  own  soul  there 
will  be  the  lie."  This  was  the  position  she  admitted, 
but  every  woman  is  Eve  in  some  hours  of  her  life. 
The  law  of  truth  and  wisdom  may  be  in  her  ears, 
but  the  apple  of  delight  hangs  within  her  reach; 
and,  with  a  full  understanding  of  the  consequences 
of  disobedience,  she  takes  the  forbidden  pleasure. 
And  if  the  vocal,  positive  command  of  Divinity  was 
unheeded  by  the  first  woman,  mere  mortal  parents 
surely  ought  not  to  wonder  that  their  commands, 
though  dictated  by  truest  love  and  clearest  wisdom, 
are  often  lightly  held,  or  even  impotent  against  the 
voice  of  some  charmer,  pleading  personal  pleasure 
against  duty,  and  self-will  against  the  law  infinitely 
higher  and  purer. 

In  truth,  Katherine  had  grown  very  weary  of  the 
perpetual  eulogies  which  Batavius  delivered  for 
every  thing  respectable  and  conservative.  A  kind 
of  stubbornness  in  evil  followed  her  acceptance  of 
evil.  This  time,  at  least,  she  was  determined  to  do 
wrong,  whatever  the  consequences  might  be.  Bata- 
vius and  his  inflexible  propriety  irritated  her:  she 
had  a  rebellious  desire  to  give  him  little  moral 
shocks;  and  she  deeply  resented  his  constant  in- 
junctions to  "  remember  that  Joanna's  and  his  own 
good  name  were,  in  a  manner,  in  her  keeping." 

Very  disagreeable  she  thought  Batavius  had 
grown,  and  she  also  jealously  noted  the  influence  he 
was  exercising  over  Joanna.  There  are  women  who 
prefer  secrecy  to  honesty,  and  sin  to  truthfulness ; 
but  Katherine  was  not  one  of  them.  If  it  had  been 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  105 

possible  to  see  her  lover  honorably,  she  would  have 
much  preferred  it.  She  was  totally  destitute  of  that 
contemptible  sentimentality  which  would  rather  in- 
vent difficulties  in  a  love-affair  than  not  have  them, 
but  she  knew  well  the  storm  of  reproach  and  disap- 
proval which  would  answer  any  such  request ;  and 
her  thoughts  were  all  bent  toward  devising  some 
plan  which  would  enable  her  to  leave  home  early  on 
that  morning  which  she  had  promised  her  lover. 

But  all  her  little  arrangements  failed ;  and  it  was 
almost  at  the  last  hour  of  the  evening  previous,  that 
circumstances  offered  her  a  reasonable  excuse.  It 
came  through  Batavius,  who  returned  home  later 
than  usual,  bringing  with  him  a  great  many  pat- 
terns of  damask  and  figured  cloth  and  stamped 
leather.  At  once  he  announced  his  intention  of 
staying  at  home  the  next  morning  in  order  to  have 
Joanna's  aid  in  selecting  the  coverings  for  their  new 
chairs,  and  counting  up  their  cost.  He  had  taken 
the  strips  out  of  his  pocket  with  an  air  of  importance 
and  complaisance;  and  Katherine,  glancing  from 
them  to  her  mother,  thought  she  perceived  a  fleet- 
ing shadow  of  a  feeling  very  much  akin  to  her  own 
contempt  of  the  man's  pronounced  self-satisfaction. 
So  when  supper  was  over,  and  the  house  duties  done, 
she  determined  to  speak  to  her.  Joris  was  at  a  town 
meeting,  and  Lysbet  did  not  interfere  with  the 
lovers.  Katherine  found  her  standing  at  an  open 
window,  looking  thoughtfully  into  the  autumn  gar- 
den. 

"  Mijn  moeder." 

"  M'ijn  kind." 

"Let  me  go  away  with  Bram  in  the  morning. 
Batavius  I  cannot  bear.  About  every  chair-cover 
he  will  call  in  the  whole  house.  The  only  chair- 
covers  in  the  world  they  will  be.  Listen,  how  he 
will  talk :  '  See  here,  Joanna.  A  fine  piece  is  this ; 
ten  shillings  and  sixpence  the  yard,  and  good 
enough  for  the  governor's  house.  But  I  am  a  man 
of  some  substance,— Gode  zij  dank  /—and  people  will 
expect  that  I,  who  give  every  Sunday  twice  to  the 
kirk,  should  have  chairs  in  accordance.'  Moeder, 


106  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

you  know  how  it  will  be.  To-morrow  I  cannot  bear 
him.  Very  near  quarreling  have  we  been  for  a 
week." 

"  I  know,  Katherine,  I  know.  Leave,  then,  with 
Bram,  and  go  first  to  Margaret  Pitt's,  and  ask  her  if 
the  new  winter  fashions  will  arrive  from  London  this 
month.  I  heard  also  that  Mary  Blankaart  has  lost 
a  silk  purse,  and  in  it  five  gold  jacobus,  and  some 
half  and  quarter  Johannes.  Ask  kindly  for  her,  and 
about  the  money;  and  so  the  morning  could  be 
passed.  And  look  now,  Katherine,  peace  is  the  best 
thing;  and  to  his  own  house  Batavius  will  go  in  a 
few  weeks." 

"That  will  make  me  glad." 

"  Whish,  mljn  kind!  Thy  bad  thoughts  should  be 
dumb  thoughts." 

"  Mijn  moeder,  sad  and  troubled  are  thy  looks. 
What  is  thy  sorrow  ?  " 

"  For  thee  my  heart  aches  often, — mine  and  thy 
good  father's,  too.  Dost  thou  not  suffer  ?  Can  thy 
mother  be  blind  ?  Nothing  hast  thou  eaten  lately. 
Joanna  says  thou  art  restless  all  the  night  long. 
Thou  art  so  changed  then,  that  wert  ever  such  a 
happy  little  one.  Once  thou  did  love  me,  Katri- 
Jntie." 

"  Ach  mljn,  moeder,  still  I  love  thee!  " 

"  But  that  English  soldier  ?  " 

"  Never  can  I  cease  to  love  him.  See,  now,  the 
love  I  give  him  is  his  love.  It  never  was  thine. 
For  him  I  brought  it  into  the  world.  None  of  thy 
love  have  I  given  to  him.  Mijn  moeder,  thee  I 
would  not  rob  for  the  whole  world ;  not  I !  " 

"For  all  that,  kleintje,  hard  is  the  mother's  lot. 
The  dear  children  I  nursed  on  my  breast,  they  go 
here  and  they  go  there,  with  this  strange  one  and 
that  strange  one.  Last  night,  ere  to  our  sleep  we 
went,  thy  father  read  to  me  some  words  of  the  lov- 
ing, mother-like  Jacob.  They  are  true  words. 
Every  good  mother  has  said  them,  at  the  grave  or 
at  the  bridal,  'En  mij  aangaande,  als  ik  van  kind- 
eren  beroofd  ben,  zoo  ben  ik  beroofd ! '  "* 

*  "  If  I  am  bereaved  of  my  children,  I  am  bereaved." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  107 

There  was  a  sad  pathos  in  the  homely  old  words 
as  they  dropped  slowly  from  Lysbet's  lip,— a  pathos 
that  fitted  perfectly  the  melancholy  air  of  the  fad- 
ing garden,  the  melancholy  light  of  the  fading  day, 
and  the  melancholy  regret  for  a  happy  home  gradu- 
ally scattering  far  and  wide.  Many  a  year  after- 
ward Katherine  remembered  the  hour  and  the  words, 
especially  in  the  gray  glooms  of  late  October  even- 
ings. 

The  next  morning  was  one  of  perfect  beauty,  and 
Katherine  awoke  with  a  feeling  of  joyful  expecta- 
tion. She  dressed  beautifully  her  pale  brown  hair; 
and  her  intended  visit  to  Mary  Blankaart  gave  her 
-an  excuse  for  wearing  her  India  silk,— the  pretty 
dress  Richard  had  seen  her  first  in,  the  dress  he  had 
"so  often  admired.  Her  appearance  caused  some  re- 
marks, which  Madam  Van  Heemskirk  replied  to; 
and  with  much  of  her  old  gayety  Katherine  walked 
between  her  father  and  brother  away  from  home. 

She  paid  a  very  short  visit  to  the  mantua-maker, 
and  then  went  to  Mrs.  Gordon's.  There  was  less 
effusion  in  that  lady's  manner  than  at  her  last  inter- 
view with  Katherine.  She  had  a  little  spasm  of 
jealousy ;  she  had  some  doubts  about  Katherine's 
deserts;  she  wondered  whether  her  nephew  really 
adored  the  girl  with  the  fervor  he  effected,  or 
whether  he  had  determined,  at  all  sacrifices,  to  pre- 
vent her  marriage  with  Neil  Semple.  Katherine 
had  never  before  seen  her  so  quiet  and  so  cool ;  and 
a  feeling  of  shame  sprang  up  in  the  girl's  heart. 
"  Perhaps  she  was  going  to  do  something  not  exactly 
proper  in  Mrs.  Gordon's  eyes,  and  in  advance  that 
lady  was  making  her  sensible  of  her  contempt." 

With  this  thought,  she  rose,  and  with  burning 
cheeks  said,  "  I  will  go  home,  madam.  Now  I  feel 
that  I  am  doing  wrong.  To  write  to  Captain  Hyde 
will  be  the  best  way." 

"Pray  don't  be  foolish,  Katherine.  I  am  of  a 
serious  turn  this  morning,  that  is  all.  How  pretty 

g3u    are!   and  how  vastly  becoming  your  gown! 
ut,  indeed,  I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  change  it. 
Yesterday,  at  the  'King's  Arms,'  I  said 'my  sister 


108  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

would  arrive  this  morning  with  me ;  and  I  bespoke 
a  little  cotillion  in  Dick's  rooms.  In  that  dress  you 
will  be  too  familiar,  my  dear.  See  here,  is  not  this 
the  prettiest  fashion  ?  It  is  lately  come  over.  So 
airy!  so  French!  so  all  that!  " 

It  was  a  light  blue  gown  and  petticoat  of  rich 
satin,  sprigged  with  silver,  and  a  manteau  of  dark 
blue  velvet  trimmed  with  bands  of  delicate  fur. 
The  bonnet  was  not  one  which  the  present  genera- 
tion would  call  "lovely;"  but,  in  its  satin  depths, 
Katherine's  fresh,  sweet  face  looked  like  a  rose. 
She  hardly  knew  herself  when  the  toilet  was  com- 
pleted; and,  during  its  progress,  Mrs.  Gordon  re- 
covered all  her  animation  and  interest. 

Before  they  were  ready,  a  coach  was  in  waiting; 
and  in  a  few  minutes  they  stood  together  at  Hyde's  " 
door.  There  was  a  sound  of  voices  within ;  and, 
when  they  entered,  Katheriue  saw,  with  a  pang  of 
disappointment,  a  fine,  soldierly  looking  man  in  full 
uniform  sitting  by  Eichard's  side.  But  Richard  ap- 
peared to  be  in  no  way  annoyed  by  his  company. 
He  was  looking  much  better,  and  wore  a  chamber 
gown  of  maroon  satin,  with  deep  laces  showing  at 
the  wrists  and  bosom.  When  Katherine  entered,  he 
was  amazed  and  charmed  with  her  appearance. 
"Come  near  to  me,  my  Katheriue,"  he  said  ;  and  as 
Mrs.  Gordon  drew  from  her  shoulders  the  mantle, 
and  from  her  head  the  bonnet,  ajid  revealed  more 
perfectly  her  beautiful  person  and  dress,  his  love  and 
admiration  were  beyond  words. 

With  an  air  that  plainly  said,  "  This  is  the  maiden 
for  whom  I  fought  and  have  suffered :  is  she  not 
worthy  of  my  devotion  ?  "  he  introduced  her  to  his 
friend*  Capt.  Earle.  But,  even  as  they  spoke,  Earle 
joined  Mrs.  Gordon,  at  a  call  from  her;  and  Kather- 
ine noticed  that  a  door  near  which  they  stood  was 
open,  and  that  they  went  into  the  room  to  which  it 
led,  and  that  other  voices  then  blended  with  theirs. 
But  these  things  were  as  nothing.  She  was  with  her 
lover,  alone  for  a  moment  with  him;  and  Eichard 
had  never  before  seemed  to  her  half  so  dear  or  half 
so  fascinating. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  109 

"My  Katherine,"  he  said,  "I  have  one  torment- 
ing thought.  Night  and  day  it  consumes  me  like  a 
fever.  I  hear  that  Neil  Sernple  is  well.  Yesterday 
Capt.  Earle  met  him;  he  was  walking  with  your 
father.  He  will  be  visiting  at  your  house  very  soon, 
He  will  see  you ;  he  will  speak  to  you.  You  have- 
such  obliging  manners,  he  may  even  clasp  this  hand, 
my  hand,.  Heavens !  I  am  but  a  man,  and  I  find  my- 
self unable  to  endure  the  thought." 

"  In  my  heart,  Kichard,  there  is  only  room  for  you. 
Neil  Semple  I  fear  and  dislike." 

"They  will  make  you  marry  him,  my  darling." 

"No:  that  they  can  never  do.'" 

"  But  I  suffer  in  the  fear.  I  suffer  a  thousand 
deaths.  If  you  were  only  my  wife,  Katherine!  " 

She  blushed  divinely.  She  was  kneeling  at  hi& 
side:  and  she  put  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and 
laid  her  face  against  his.  "  Qnly  your  wife  I  will  be. 
That  is  what  I  desire  also." 

"  Now,  Katherine  ?  This  minute,  darling  ?  Make 
me  sure  of  the  felicity  you  have  promised.  You 
have  my  word  of  honor,  that  as  Katherine  Van 
Heemskirk  I  will  not  again  ask  you  to  come  here. 
But  it  is  past  my  impatience  to  exist,  and  not  see 
you.  Katherine  Hyde  would  have  the  right  to 
come." 

"Oh,  my  love, .my  love!  " 

""  See  how  I  tremble,  Katherine.  Life  scarcely 
cares  to  inhabit  a  body  so  weak.  If  you  refuse  me 
I  will  let  it  go.  If  you  refuse  me,  I  shall  know  that 
in  your  heart  you  expect  to  marry  Neil  Semple, — 
the  savage  who  has  made  me  suffer  unspeakable 
agonies.'' 

"Never  will  I  marry  him,  Richard,  never,  never. 
My  word  is  true.  You  only  I  will  marry." 

"Then  now,  now,  Katherine.  Here  is  the  ring. 
Here  is  the  special  license  from  the  governor ;  my 
aunt  has  made  him  to  understand  all.  The  clergy- 
man and  the  witnesses  are  waiting.  Some  good  for- 
tune has  dressed  you  in  bridal  beauty.  Now,  Kath- 
eri  n e  ?  Now,  n ow ! ' ' 

She  rose,  and  stood  white  and  trembling  by  his 


110  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

side, — speechless,  also.  To  her  father  and  her 
mother  her  thoughts  fled  in  a  kind  of  loving  ter- 
ror. But  how  could  she  resist  the  pleading  of  one 
whom  she  so  tenderly  loved,  and  to  whom,  in  her 
maiden  simplicity,  she  imagined  herself  to  be 
so  deeply  bounden  ?  That  very  self-abnegation 
which  forms  so  large  a  portion  of  a  true  affection 
urged  her  to  compliance  far  more  than  love  itself. 
And  when  Richard  ceased  to  speak,  and  only  be- 
sought her  with  the  unanswerable  pathos  of  his 
evident  suffering  for  her  sake,  she  felt  the  argument 
to  be  irresistible. 

"  Well,  my  Katherine,  will  you  pity  me  so  far  ?  " 

"All  you  ask,  my  loved  one,  I  will  grant." 

"  Angel  of  goodness !    Now  ?  " 

"  At  your  wish,  Richard." 

He  took  her  hand  in  a  passion  of  joy  and  grati- 
tude, and  touched  a  small  bell.  Immediately  there 
was  a  sudden  silence,  and  then  a  sudden  movement, 
in  the  adjoining  room.  The  next  moment  a  clergy- 
man in  canonical  dress  came  toward  them.  By  his 
side  was  Col.  Gordon,  and  Mrs.  Gordon  and  Capt. 
Earle  followed.  If  Katherine  had  then  been  sensible 
of  any  misgiving  or  repentant  withdrawal,  the  influ- 
ences surrounding  her  were  irresistible.  But  she 
had  no  distinct  wish  to  resist  them.  Indeed,  Col. 
Gordon  said  afterward  to  his  wife,  "  he  had  never  seen 
a  bride  look  at  once  so  lovely  and -so  happy."  The 
ceremony  was  full  of  solemnity,  and  of  that  deepest 
joy  which  dims  the  eyes  with  tears,  even  while  it 
wreathes  the  lips  with  smiles.  During  it,  Katherine 
knelt  by  Richard's  side;  and  every  eye  was  fixed 
upon  him,  for  he  was  almost  fainting  with  the  fa- 
tigue of  his  emotions ;  and  it  was  with  fast  receding 
consciousness  that  he  whispered  rapturously  at  its 
close,  "My  wife,  my  wife!  " 

Throughout  the  sleep  of  exhaustion  which  fol- 
lowed, she  sat  watching  him.  The  company  in  the 
next  room  were  quietly  making  merry  "  over  Dick's 
triumph,"  but  Katherine  shook  her  head  at  all  pro- 
posals to  join  them.  The  band  of  gold  around  her 
finger  fascinated  her.  She  was  now  really  Richard's 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  Ill 

wife ;  and  the  first  sensation  of  such  a  mighty 
change  was,  in  her  pure  soul,  one  of  infinite  and 
reverent  love.  When  Kichard  awoke,  he  was  re- 
freshed and  supremely  happy.  Then  Katherine 
brought  him  food  and  wine,  and  ate  her  own  morsel 
beside  him.  "Our  first  meal  we  must  take  to- 
gether," she  said  ;  and  Hyde  was  already  sensible  of 
some  exquisite  change,  some  new  and  rarer  tender- 
ness and  solicitude  in  all  her  ways  toward  him. 
,  The  noon  hour  was  long  past,  but  she  made  no 
mention  of  it.  The  wedding  guests  also  lingered, 
talking  and  laughing  softly,  and  occasionally  visit- 
ing the  happy  bride  and  bridegroom  in  their  blissful 
companionship.  In  those  few  hours  Kichard  made 
sure  his  dominion  over  his  wife's  heart;  and  he  had 
so  much  to  tell  her,  and  so  many  directions  to  give 
her,  that,  ere  they  were  aware,  the  afternoon  was 
well  spent.  The  "clergyman  and  the  soldiers  de- 
parted, Mrs.  Gordon  was  a  little  weary,  and  Hyde 
was  fevered  with  the  very  excess  of  his  joy.  The 
moment  for  parting  had  come;  and,  when  it  has, 
wise  are  those  who  delay  it  not.  Hyde  fixed  his 
eyes  upon  his  wife  until  Mrs.  Gordon  had  arranged 
again  her  bonnet  and  manteau  ;  then,  with  a  smile, 
her  shut  in  their  white  portals  the  exquisite  picture. 
He  could  let  her  go  with  a  smile  now,  for  he  knew 
that  Katherine's  absence  was  but  a  parted  pres- 
ence; knew  that  her  better  part  remained  with 
him,  that 

"  Her  heart  was  never  away, 
But  ever  with  his  forever." 

The  coach  was  waiting;  and,  without  delay,  Kath- 
erine returned  with  Mrs.  Gordon  to  her  lodgings. 
Both  were  silent  on  the  journey.  When  a  great 
event  has  taken  place,  only  the  shallow  and  unfeel- 
ing chatter  about  it.  Katherine's  heart  was  full, 
even  to  solemnity;  and  Mrs.  Gordon,  whose  affecta- 
tion of  fashionable  levity  was  in  a  large  measure 
pretence,  had  a  kind  and  sensible  nature,  and  she 
watched  the  quiet  girl  by  her  side  with  decided  ap- 
proval. "She  may  not  be  in  the  mode,  but  she  is 


112  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

neither  silly  nor  heartless,"  she  decided;  "and  as 
for  loving  foolishly  my  poor,  delightful  Dick,  why, 
any  girl  may  be  excused  the  folly." 

Upon  leaving  the  coach  at  Mrs.  Gordon's,  Kath- 
arine went  to  an  inner  room  to  resume  her  own 
dress.  The  India  silk  lay  across  a  chair;  and  she 
took  off,  folded  with  her  accustomed  neatness,  the 
elegant  suit  she  had  worn.  As  she  did  so,  she  be- 
came sensible  of  a  singular  liking  for  it;  and,  when 
Mrs.  Gordon  entered  the  room,  she  said  to  her, 
" Madam,  very  much  I  desire  this  suit:  it  is  my 
wedding-gown.  "Will  you  save  it  for  me?  Some 
day  I  may  wear  it  again,  when  Eichard  is  well." 

"Indeed,  Katherine,  that  is  a  womanly  thought; 
it  does  you  avast  deal  of  credit;  and,  upon  my 
word,  you  shall  have  the  gown.  I  shall  be  put  to 
straits  without  it,  to  out-dress  Miss  Betty  Lawson  ; 
but  never  mind,  I  have  a  few  decent  gowns  beside 
it." 

"Kichard,  too,  he  will  like  it?  You  think  so, 
madam  ?  " 

"  My  dear,  don't  begin  to  quote  Richard  to  me.  I 
shall  be  impatient  if  you  do.  I  assure  you  I  have 
never  considered  him  a  prodigy."  Then,  kissing 
her  fondly,  "Madam  Katherine  Hyde,  my  entire 
service  to"y°u-  Pray  be  sure  I  shall  give  your  hus- 
band my  best  concern.  And  now  I  think  you  can 
walk  out  of  the  door  without  mucn  notice:  there  is 
a  crowd  on  the  street,  and  every  one  is  busy  about 
their  own  appearance  or  affairs." 

"  The  time,  madam  ?    What  is  the  hour?  " 

"Indeed,  I  think  it  is  much  after  four  o'clock. 
Half  an  hour  hence,  you  will  have  to  bring  out  your 
excuses.  I  shall  wish  for  a  little  devil  at  your 
elbow  to  help  them  out.  Indeed,  I  am  vastly 
troubled  for  you." 

"  Her  excuses"  Katherine  had  not  suffered  herself 
to  consider.  She  could  not  bear  to  shadow  the 
present  with  the  future.  She  had,  indeed,  a  happy 
faculty  of  leaving  her  emergencies  to  take  care  of 
themselves;  and  perhaps  wiser  people  than  Kath- 
erine might,  with  advantage,  trust  less  to  their  own 


THE  BOW  OF  OEANGE  RIBBON.  113 

planning  and  foresight,  and  more  to  that  inscrutable 
power  which  we  call  chance,  but  which  so  often  ar- 
ranges favorably  the  events  apparently  very  unfav- 
orable. For,  at  the  best,  foresight  has  but  probabil- 
ities to  work  with ;  but  chance,  whose  tools  we  know 
not,  very  often  contradicts  all  our  bad  prophecies, 
and  untangles  untoward  events  far  beyond  our  best 
prudence  or  wisdom.  And  Katherine  was  so  happy. 
She  was  really  Kichard's  wife;  and  on  that  solid 
vantage-ground  she  felt  able  to  beat  off  trouble,  and 
to  defend  her  own  and  his  rights. 

"So  much  better  you  look,  Katherine,"  said 
Madam  Van  Heemskirk.  "  Where  have  you  been 
all  the  day  ?  And  did  you  see  Mary  Blankaart  ? 
And  the  money,  is  it  found  yet?  " 

The  family  were  at  the  supper-table;  and  Joris 
looked  kindly  at  his  truant  daughter,  and  motioned 
to  the  vacant  chair  at  his  side.  She  slipped  into  it, 
touching  her  father's  cheek  as  she  passed  ;  and  then 
she  answered,  "At  Mary  Blankaart's  I  was  not  at 
all,  mother." 

"Where,  then?" 

"To  Margaret  Pitt's  I  went  first,  and  with  Mrs. 
Gordon  I  have  been  all  the  day.  She  is  lodging  with 
Mrs.  Lanier,  on  Pearl  Street." 

"  Who  sent  you  there,  Katherine  ?  " 

"  No  one,  mother.  When  I  passed  the  house,  my 
name  I  heard,  and  Mrs.  Gordon  came  out  to  me; 
and  how  could  I  refuse  her?  Much  had  we  to  talk 
of." 

Batavius  saw  the  girl's  placid  face,  and  heard  her 
open  confession,  with  the  greatest  amazement.  He 
looked  at  Joanna,  and  was  just  going  to  express  his 
opinion,  when  Joris  rose,  pushed  his  chair  a  little 
angrily  aside,  and  said,  "  There  is  no  blame  to  you, 
Katherine.  Very  kind  was  Mrs.  Gordon  to  you,  and 
she  is  a  pleasant  woman.  For  other's  faults  she 
must  not  answer.  That,  also,  is  what  Elder  Semple 
says ;  for  when  past  was  her  anger,  with  a  heart  full 
of  sorrow  she  went  to  him  and  to  Madam  Semple." 

"  The  sorrow  that  is  too  late,  of  what  use  is  it  ?  A 
very  pleasant  woman !  Perhaps  she  is,  but  then, 


114  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

also,  a  very  vain,  foolish  woman.    Every  person  of 
discretion  says  so  ;  and  if  I  had  a  daughter  "— 

"  Well,  then,  Batavius,  a  daughter  thou  may  have 
some  day.  To  the  man  with  a  tender  heart,  God 

fives  his  daughters.    Wanting  in  some  good  thing  I 
ad  felt  myself,  if  only  sons  I  had    been  trusted 
with.    A  daughter  is  a  little  white  lamb  in  the  house- 
hold to  teach  men  to  be  gentle  men." 
"  I  was  going  to  say  this,  if  I  had  a  daughter  "— 
''Well,  then,  when  thou  hast,  more  wisdom  will  be 

fiven  thee.— Come  with  thy  father,  Katrijntje,  and 
own  the  garden  we  will  walk,  and  see  if  there  are 
dahlias  yet,  and  how  grow  the  gold  and  the  white 
chrysanthemums." 

But  all  the  time  they  were  in  the  garden  together, 
Joris  never  spoke  of  Mrs.  Gordon,  nor  of  Kather- 
ine's  visit  to  her.  About  the  flowers,  and  the  rest- 
less swallows,  and  the  blue-birds,  who  still  lingered, 
silent  and  anxious,  he  talked ;  and  a  little  also  of 
Joanna,  and  her  new  house,  and  of  the  great  wed- 
ding feast  that  was  the  desire  of  Batavius. 

"  Every  one  he  has  ever  spoken  to,  he  will  ask," 
said  Katherine ;  "  so  hard  he  tries  to  have  many 
friends,  and  to  be  well  spoken  of." 

"That  is  his  way,  Katrijntje;  every  man  has  his 
way." 

"And  I  like  not  the  way  of  Batavius." 

"  In  business,  then,  he  has  a  good  name,  honest 
and  prudent.  He  will  make  thy  sister  a  good  hus- 
band." 

But,  though  Joris  said  nothing  to  his  daughter 
concerning  her  visit  to  Mrs.  Gordon,  he  talked  long 
with  Lysbet  about  it.  "  What  will  be  the  end,  thou 
may  see  by  the  child's  face  and  air,"  he  said  :  "the 
shadow  and  the  heaviness  are  gone.  Like  the  old 
Katherine  she  is  to-night." 

"And  this  afternoon  comes  here  Neil  Semple. 
Scarcely  he  believed  me  that  Katherine  was  out. 
Joris,  what  wilt  thou  do  about  the  young  man  ?  " 

"His  fair  chance  he  is  to  have,  Lysbet.  That  to 
the  elder  is  promised." 

"  The  case  now  is  altered.    Neil  Semple  I  like  not. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  115 

Little  he  thought  of  our  child's  good  name.  With 
his  sword  he  wounded  her  most.  No  patience  have 
I  with  the  man.  And  his  dark  look  thou  should 
have  seen  when  I  said,  *  Katherine  is  not  at  home/ 
Plainly  his  eyes  said  to  me,  '  Thou  art  lying.'  " 

"  Well,  then,  what  thought  hast  thou  ?  " 

"  This :  one  lover  must  push  away  the  other.  The 
young  dominie  that  is  now  with  the  Rev.  Lambertus 
de  Ronde,  he  is  handsome  and  a  great  hero.  From 
Surinam  has  he  come,  a  man  who  for  the  cross  has 
braved  savage  men  and  savage  beasts  and  deadly 
fever.  No  one  but  he  is  now  to  be  talked  of  in  the 
kirk ;  and  I  would  ask  him  to  the  house.  Often  I 
have  seen  the  gown  and  bands  put  the  sword  and 
epaulets  behind  them." 

"  Well,  then,  at  the  wedding  of  Batavius  he  will 
be  asked ;  and  if  before  there  is  a  good  time,  I  will 
say,  'Come  into  my  house,  and  eat  and  drink  with 
us.'  " 

So  the  loving,  anxious  parents,  in  their  ignorance, 
planned.  Even  then,  accustomed  in  all  their  ways 
to  move  with  caution,  they  saw  no  urgent  need  of 
interference  with  the  regular  and  appointed  events 
of  life.  A  few  weeks  hence,  when  Joanna  was  mar- 
ried, if  there  was  in  the  meantime  no  special  oppor- 
tunity, the  dominie  could  be  offered  as  an  antidote 
to  the  soldier;  and,  in  the  interim,  Neil  Sempte  was 
to  honorably  have  such  "  chance  "  as  his  ungovern- 
able temper  had  left  him. 

The  next  afternoon  he  called  again  on  Katherine. 
His  arm  was  still  useless ;  his  pallor  and  weakness  so 
great  as  to  win,  even  from  Lysbet,  that  womanly 
pity  which  is  often  irrespective  of  desert.  She 
brought  him  wine,  she  made  him  rest  upon  the  sofa, 
and  by  her  quiet  air  of  sympathy  bespoke  for  him 
a  like  indulgence  from  her  daughter.  Katherine  sat 
by  her  small  wheel,  unplaiting  some  flax;  and  Neil 
thought  her  the  most  beautiful  creature  he  had  ever 
seen.  He  kept  angrily  asking  himself  why  he  had 
not  perceived  this  rare  loveliness  before;  why  he 
had  not  made  sure  his  claim  ere  rivals  had  disputed 
it  with  him.  He  did  not  understand  that  it  was  love 


116  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

which  had  called  this  softer,  more  exquisite  beauty 
into  existence.  The  tender  light  in  the  eyes ;  the 
flush  upon  the  che>ek ;  the  lips,  conscious  of  sweet 
words  and  sweeter  kisses ;  the  heart,  beating  to  pure 
and  loving  thoughts,— in  short,  the  loveliness  of  the 
soul,  transfiguring  the  meaner  loveliness  of  flesh 
and  blood,  Neil  had  perceived  and  wondered  at;  but 
he  had  not  that  kind  of  love  experience  which  di- 
vines the  cause  from  the  result. 

On  the  contrary,  had  Hyde  been  watching  Kath- 
erine,  he  would  have  been  certain  that  she  was  mus- 
ing on  her  lover.  He  would  have  understood  that 
bewitching  languor,  that  dreaming  silence,  that 
tender  air  and  light  and  color  which  was  the  phys- 
ical atmosphere  of  a  soul  communing  with  its  be- 
loved; a  soul  touching  things  present  only  with  its 
intelligence,  but  reaching  out  to  the  absent  with  in- 
tensity of  every  loving  emotion. 

For  some  time  the  conversation  was  general.  The 
meeting  of  the  delegates,  and  the  hospitalities  of- 
fered them ;  the  offensive  and  tyrannical  Stamp 
Act;  the  new  organization  o/  patriots  who  called 
themselves  "Sons  of  Liberty;  "  and  the  loss  of  Miss 
Mary  Blankaart's  purse, — furnished  topics  of  mild 
dispute.  But  no  one's  interest  was  in  their  words, 
and  presently  Madam  Van  Heemskirk  rose  and  left 
the  room.  Her  husband  had  said,  "Neil  was  to 
have  some  opportunities ; "  and  the  words  of  Joris 
were  a  law  of  love  to  Lysbet. 

Neil  was  not  slow  to  improve  the  favor.  "  Kath- 
erine,  I  wish  to  speak  to  you.  .1  am  weak  and  ill. 
Will  you  come  here  beside  me  ?  " 

She  rose  slowly,  and  stood  beside  him  ;  but,  when 
he  tried  to  take  her  hands,  she  clasped  them  behind 
her  back. 

"So?"  he  asked;  and  the  blood  surged  over  his 
white  face  in  a  crimson  tide  that  made  him  for  a 
moment  or  two  speechless.  "  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Blood-stained  are  your  hands.  I  will  not  take 
them." 

The  answer  gave  him  a  little  comfort.  It  was, 
then,  only  a  moral  qualm.  He  had  even  no  objec- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  117 

tion  to  such  a  keen  sense  of  purity  in  her;  and 
sooner  or  later  she  would  forgive  his  action,  or  be 
made  to  see  it  wijth  the  eyes  of  the  world,  in  which 
he  moved. 

"  Katherine,  I  am  very  sorry  I  had  to  guard  my 
honor  with  my  sword ;  and  it  was  your  love  I  was 
fighting  for." 

"  My  honor  you  cared  not  for,  and  with  the  sword 
I  could  not  guard  it.  Of  me  cruel  and  false  words 
have  been  said  by  every  one.  On  the  streets  I  was 
ashamed  to  go.  Even  the  dominie  thought  it  right 
to  come  and  give  me  admonition.  Batavius  never 
since  has  liked  or  trusted  me.  He  says  Joanna's 
good  name  also  I  have  injured.  And  my  love,— is  it 
a  thing  to  be  fought  for?  You  have  guarded  your 
honor,  but  what  of  mine  ?  " 

"  Your  honor  is  my  honor.  They  that  speak  ill  of 
you,  sweet  Katherine,  speak  ill  of  me.  Your  life  is 
my  life.  O  my  precious  one,  my  wife!  " 

"  Such  words  I  will  not  listen  to.  Plainly  now  I 
tell  you,  your  wife  I  will  never  be,— never,  never, 
never!  " 

"  I  will  love  you,  Katherine,  beyond  your  dream 
of  love.  I  will  die  rather  than  see  you  the  wife  of 
another  man.  For  your  bow  of  ribbon,  only  see 
what  I  have  suffered." 

"And,  also,  what  have  you  made  another  to  suf- 
fer?" 

"  Oh,  I  wish  that  I  had  slain  him !  " 

"Not  your  fault  is  it  that  you  did  not  murder 
him." 

"An  affair  of  honor  is  not  murder,  Katherine." 

"Honor!  Name  not  the  \yord.  From  a  dozen 
wounds  your  enemy  was  bleeding:  to  go  on  fighting 
a  dying  man  was  murder,  not  honor.  Brave  some 
call  you :  in  my  heart  I  say,  *  Neil  Semple  was  a  sav- 
age and  a  coward.' " 

"  Katherine,  I  will  not  be  angry  with  you." 

"  I  wish  that  you  should  be  angry  with  me." 

"  Because  some  day  you  will  be  very  sorry  for 
these  foolish  words,  my  dear  love." 

"  Your  dear  love  I  am  not." 


118  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"My  dear  love,  give  me  a  drink  of  wine,  I  am 
faint." 

His  whispered  words  and  death  like  countenance 
moved  her  to  human  pity.  She  rose  for  the  wine, 
and,  as  she  did  so,  called  her  mother;  but  Neil  had 
at  least  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  that  she  had  min- 
istered to  his  weakness,  and  held  the  wine  to  his 
lips.  From  this  time,  he  visited  her  constantly,  un- 
mindful of  her  frowns,  deaf  to  all  her  unkind  words, 
patient  under  the  most  pointed  slights  and  neglect. 
And  as  most  men  rate  an  object  according  to  the  dif- 
ficulty experienced  in  attaining  it  Katherine  became 
every  day  more  precious  and  desirable  in  Neil's 
eyes. 

In  the  mean  time,  without  being  watched,  Kath- 
erine felt  herself  to  be  under  a  certain  amount  of  re- 
straint. If  she  proposed  a  walk  into  the  city, 
Joanna  or  madam  was  sure  to  have  the  same  desire. 
She  was  not  forbidden  to  visit  Mrs.  Gordon,  but 
events  were  so  arranged  as  to  make  the  visit  almost 
impossible ;  and  only  once,  during  the  month  after 
her  marriage,  had  she  an  interview  with  her  hus- 
band. For  even  Hyde's  impatience  had  recognized 
the  absolute  necessity  of  circumspection.  The  land- 
lord's suspicions  had  been  awakened,  and  not  very 
certainly  allayed.  "  There  must  be  no  scandal 
about  my  house,  captain,"  he  said.  "  I  merit  some- 
thing better  from  you ;  "  and,  after  this  injunction, 
it  was  very  likely  that  Mrs.  Gordon's  companions 
would  be  closely  scrutinized.  True,  the  "King's 
Arms  "  was  the  great  rendezvous  of  the  military  and 
government  officials,  and  the  landlord  himself  sub- 
serviently loyal ;  but,  also,  Joris  Van  Heemskirk  was 
not  a  man  with  whom  any  good  citizen  would  like  to 
quarrel.  Personally  he  was  much  beloved,  and  so- 
cially he  stood  as  representative  of  a  class  who  held 
in  their  hands  commercial  and  political  power  no  one 
cared  to  oppose  or  offend. 

The  marriage  license  had  been  obtained  from  the 
governor,  but  extraordinary  influence  had  been  used 
to  procure  it.  Katherine  was  under  age,  and  yet 
subject  to  her  father's  authority.  In  spite  of  book 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  119 

and  priest  and  ring,  he  could  retain  his  child  for  at 
least  three  years;  and  three  years,  Hyde— in  talking 
with  his  aunt— called  "  an  eternity  of  doubt  and  de- 
spair." These  facts,  Hyde,  in  his  letters,  had  fully 
explained  to  Katherine ;  and  she  understood  clearly 
how  important  the  preservation  of  her  secret  was, 
and  how  much  toward  allaying  suspicion  depended 
upon  her  own  behavior.  Fortunately  Joanna's  wed- 
ding-day was  drawing  near,  and  it  absorbed  what  at- 
tention the  general  public  had  for  theVan  Heemskirk 
family.  For  it  was  a  certain  thing,  developing  into 
feasting  and  dancing;  and  it  quite  put  out  of  con- 
sideration suspicions  which  resulted  in  nothing, 
when  people  examined  them  in  the  clear  atmosphere 
of  Katherine's  home. 

At  the  feast  of  St.  Nicholas  the  marriage  was  to 
take  place.  Early  in  November  the  preparations  for 
it  began.  No  such  great  event  could  happen  with- 
out an  extraordinary  house-cleaning;  and  from  gar- 
ret to  cellar  the  house-maid's  pail  and  brush  were  in 
demand.  Spotless  was  every  inch  of  paint,  shining 
every  bit  of  polished  wood  and  glass ;  not  a  thimble- 
full  of  dust  in  the  whole  house.  Toward  the  end  of 
the  month,  Anna  and  Cornelia  arrived,  with  their 
troops  of  rosy  boys  and  girls,  and  their  slow,  sub- 
stantial husbands.  Batavius  felt  himself  to  be  a 
very  great  man.  The  weight  of  his  affairs  made  him 
solemn  and  pre-occupied.  He  was  not  one  of  those 
light,  foolish  ones,  who  can  become  a  husband  and 
a  householder  without  being  sensible  of  the  respon- 
sibilities they  assume. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  household  excitement, 
Katherine  found  some  opportunities  of  seeing  Mrs. 
Gordon  ;  and  in  the  joy  of  receiving  letters  from,  and 
sending  letters  to,  her  husband,  she  recovered  a  gay- 
ety  of  disposition  which  effectually  repressed  all  urg- 
ent suspicions.  Besides,  as  the  eventful  day  drew 
near,  there  was  so  much  to  attend  to.  Joanna's  per- 
sonal goods,  her  dresses  and  household  linen,  her 
china  and  wedding  gifts,  had  to  be  packed;  the 
house  was  decorated  ;  and  there  was  a  most  amazing 
quantity  of  delicacies  to  be  prepared  for  the  table. 


120  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  of  the  day  before 
the  marriage,  there  was  the  loud  rat-tat-tat  of  the 
brass  knocker,  announcing  a  visitor.  But  visitors 
had  been  constant  since  the  arrival  of  Cornelia  and 
Anna,  and  Katherine  did  not  much  trouble  herself 
as  to  whom  it  might  be.  She  was  standing  upon  a 
ladder,  pinning  among  the  evergreens  and  scarlet 
berries  rosettes  and  bows  of  ribbon  of  the  splendid 
national  color,  and  singing  with  a  delightsome 
cheeriness,— 

"  But  the  maid  of  Holland, 

For  her  own  true  love, 
Ties  the  splendid  orange, 

Orange  still  above ! 
O  oranje boven  ! 
Orange  still  above  I " 

"Orange  still  above!  Oh,  my  dear,  don't  trouble 
yourself  to  come  down!  I  can  pass  the  time  tolera- 
bly well,  watching  you." 

It  was  Mrs.  Gordon,  and  she  nodded  and  laughed 
in  a  triumphant  way  that  very  quickly  brought 
Katherine  to  her  side.  "  My  dear,  I  kiss  you.  You 
are  the  top  beauty  of  my  whole  acquaintance."  Then, 
in  a  whisper,  "  Richard  sends  Ids  devotion.  And  put 
your  hand  in  my  muff:  there  is  a  letter.  And  pray 
give  me  joy:  I  have  just  secured  an  invitation.  I 
asked  the  councillor  and  madam  point  blank  for  it. 
Faith,  I  think  I  am  a  little  of  a  favorite  with  them ! 
Every  one  is  talking  of  the  bridegroom,  and  the 
bridegroom  is  talking  to  every  one.  Surely,  my 
dear,  he  imagines  himself  to  be  the  only  man  that 
will  ever  again  commit  matrimony.  Oranje  boven, 
everywhere!"  Then,  with  a  little  exultant  laugh, 
"  Above  the  Tartan,  at  any  rate.  How  is  the  young 
Bruce  ?  My  dear,  if  you  don't  make  him  suffer,  I 
shall  never  forgive  you.  Alternate  doses  of  hope 
and  despair,  that  would  be  my  prescription." 

Katherine  shook  her  head. 

"  Take  notice,  in  particular,  that  I  don't  under- 
stand nods  and  shakes  and  sighs  and  signs.  What 
is  your  opinion,  frankly  ?  " 

"On  my  wedding-day,  as  I  left  Richard,  this  he 


TEE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  121 

• 

said  to  me,  'My  honor,  Katherine,  is'now  in  your 
keeping.'  By  the  lifting  of  one  eyelash,  I  will  not 
etain  it." 

"  My  dear,  you  are  perfectly  charming.  You  al- 
ways convince  me  that  I  am  a  better  woman  than  I 
imagine  myself.  I  shall  go  straight  to  Dick,  and 
tell  him  how  exactly  proper  you  are.  Really,  you 
have  more  perfections  than  any  one  woman  has  a 
right  to." 

"  To-morrow,  if  I  have  a  letter  ready,  you  will  take 
it?" 

"I  will- run  the  risk,  child.  But  really,  if  you 
could  see  the  way  mine  host  of  the  '  King's  Arms  ' 
looks  at  me,  you  would  be  sensible  of  my  courage.  ; 
I  am  persuaded  he  thinks  I  carry  you  under  my 
new  wadded  cloak.  Now,  adieu.  Return  to  your 
evergreens  and  ribbons. 

'  For  your  own  true  love, 

Tie  the  splendid  orange, 
Orange  still  above ! '  " 

And  so,  lightly  humming  Katherine's  favorite  song, 
she  left  the  busy  house. 

Before  daylight  the  next  morning,  Batavius  had 
every  one  at  his  post.  The  ceremony  was  to  be  per- 
formed in  the  Middle  Kirk,  and  he  took  care  that 
Joanna  kept  neither  Pomine  de  Ronde  nor  himself 
waiting.  He  was  exceedingly  gratified  to  find  the 
building  crowded  when  the  wedding  party  arrived. 
Joanna's  dress  had  cost  d  guinea  a  yard,  his  own 
broad  cloth  and  satin  were  of  the  finest  quality,  and 
he  felt  that  the  good  citizens  who  respected  him 
ought  to  have  an  opportunity  to  see  how  deserving 
he  was  of  their  esteem.  Joanna,  also,  was  a  beau- 
tiful bride;  and  the  company  was  entirely  composed 
of  men  of  honor  and  substance,  and  women  of  irre- 
proachable characters,  dressed  with  that  solid  mag- 
nificence gratifying  to  a  man  who,  like  Batavius, 
dearly  loved  respectability. 

Katherine  looked  for  Mrs.  Gordon  in  vain :  she 
was  not  in  the  kirk,  and  she  did  not  arrive  until 
the  festival  dinner  was  nearly  over.  Batavius  was 


122  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  &IBBON. 

then  considerably  under  the  excitement  of  his  fine 
position  and  fine  fare.  He  sat  by  the  side  of  his 
bride,  at  the  right  hand  of  Joris;  and  Katherine 
assisted  her  mother  at  the  other  end  of  the  table. 
Peter  Block,  the  first  mate  of  the  "  Great  Christo- 
pher," was  just  beginning  to  sing  a  song,— a  fool- 
ish, sentimental  ditty  for  so  big  and  bluff  a  fellow,— 
in  which  some  girl  was  thus  entreated,— 

"  Come,  fly  with  me,  my  own  fair  love ; 

My  bark  is  waiting  in  the  bay, 
And  soon  its  snowy  wings  will  speed 
To  happy  lands  so  far  away. 

«'  And  there,  for  us.  the  rose  of  love 

Shall  sweetly  bloom,  and  never  die. 
Oh,  fly  with  me !    We'll  happy  be 
Beneath  fair  Java's  smiling  sky." 

"  Peter,  such  nonsense  as  you  sing,"  said  Bata- 
rius,  with  ail  the  authority  of  a  skipper  to  his  mate. 
"How  can  a  woman  fly  when  she  has  no  wings? 
And  to  say  any  bark  has  wings  is  not  the  truth. 
And  what  kind  of  rose  is  the  rose  of  love  ?  Twelve 
kinds  of  roses  I  have  chosen  for  my  new  garden,  but 
that  kind  I  never  heard  of;  and  I  will  not  believe  in 
any  rose  that  never  dies.  And  you  also  have  been  to 
Java ;  and  well  you  know  of  the  fever  and  the  blacks, 
and  the  sky  that  is  not  smiling,  but  hot  as  the  place 
which  is  not  heaven.  No  respectable  person  would 
want  to  be  a  married  man  in  Java.  I  never  did." 

"  Sing  your  own  songs,  skipper.  By  yourself  you 
measure  every  man.  If  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
you  did  not  want  to  go,  astonished  and  angry  you 
would  be  that  any  one  did  not  like  the  place  which 
is  not  heaven." 

"  Come,  friends  and  neighbors,"  said  Joris  cheer- 
ily. "  I  will  sing  you  a  song;  and  every  one  knows 
the  tune  to  it,  and  every  one  has  heard  their  vaders 
and  their  moeders  sing  it, — sometimes,  perhaps,  on 
the  great  dikes  of  Vaderland,  and  sometimes  in  their 
sweet  homes  that  the  great  Hendrick  Hudson  found 
out  for  them.  Now,  then,  all,  a  song  for 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  123 

«MOEDER  HOLLAND. 

'  We  have  taken  our  land  from  the  sea, 
Its  fields  are  all  yellow  with  grain. 
Its  meadows  are  green  on  the  lea,— 
And  now  shall  we  give  it  to  Spain  ? 
No,  no,  no,  no! 

*We  have  planted  the  faith  that  is  pure, 
That  faith  to  the  end  we'll  maintain; 
For  the  word  and  the  truth  must  endure. 
Shall  we  bow  to  the  Pope  and  to  Spain? 
No,  no,  no,  no! 

•Our  ships  are  on  every  sea, 

Our  honor  has  never  a  stain, 
Our  law  and  our  commerce  are  free : 
Are  we  slaves  for  the  tyrant  of  Spalnt 
No,  no,  no,  no! 

'Then,  sons  of  Batavia,  the  spade,— 

The  spade  and  the  pike  and  the  main, 
And  the  heart  and  the  hand  and  the  blade: 
Is  there  mercy  for  merciless  Spain? 
No,  no,  no,  no!'" 

By  this  time  the  enthusiasm  was  wonderful.  The 
short,  quick  denials  came  hotter  and  louder  at  every 
verse;  and  it  was  easy  to  understand  how  these 
large,  slow  men,  once  kindled  to  white  heat,  were 
both  irresistible  and  unconquerable.  Every  eye 
was  turned  to  Joris,  who  stood  in  his  massive, 
manly  beauty  a  very  conspicuous  figure.  His  face 
was  full  of  feeling  and  purpose,  his  large  blue  eyes 
limpid  and  shining;  and,  as  the  tumult  of  applause 
gradually  ceased,  he  said,— 

" My  friends  and  neighbors,  no  poet  am  I;  but  al- 
ways wrongs  burn  in  the  heart  until  plain  prose  can- 
not utter  them.  Listen  to  me.  If  we  wrung  the 
Great  Charter  and  the  right  of  self-taxation  from 
Mary  in  A.D.  1477;  if  in  A.D.  1572  we  taught  Alva, 
by  force  of  arms,  how  dear  to  us  was  our  maxim, 
*  No  taxation  without  representation,* — 

"  Shall  we  give  up  our  long-cherished  right  ? 

Make  the  blood  of  our  fathers  in  vain  ? 
Do  we  fear  any  tyrant  to  fight  ? 
Shall  we  hold  out  our  hands  for  the  chain? 
No,  no,  no,  no!" 


124  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Even  the  women  had  caught  fire  at  this  allusion 
to  the  injustice  of  the  Stamp  Act  and  Quartering 
Acts,  then  hanging  over  the  liberties  of  the  Prov- 
ince; and  Mrs.  Gordon  looked  curiously  and  not 
unkindly  at  the  latent  rebels.  "  England  will  have 
foemen  worthy  of  her  steel,  if  she  turns  these  good 
friends  into  enemies,"  she  reflected;  and  then,  fol- 
lowing some  irresistible  impulse,  she  rose  with  the 
company,  at  the  request  of  Joris,  to  sing  unitedly 
the  patriotic  invocation, — 

"O  Vaderland,  can  we  forget  thee,— 

Thy  courage,  thy  glory,  thy  strife  ? 
0  Moeder  Kirk,  can  we  forget  thee  ? 
No,  never!  no,  never!  through  life. 
No,  no,  no,  no!  " 

The  emotion  was  too  intense  to  be  prolonged ;  and 
Joris  instantly  pushed  back  his  chair,  and  said, 
"Now,  then,  friends,  for  the  dance.  Myself  I  think 
not  too  old  to  take  out  the  bride." 

Neil  Semple,  who  had  looked  like  a  man  in  a 
dream  during  the  singing,  went  eagerly  to  Kath- 
erine  as  soon  as  Joris  spoke  of  dancing.  "  He  felt 
strong  enough,"  he  said,  "  to  tread  a  measure  in  the 
bride  dance,  and  he  hoped  she  would  so  far  honor 
him." 

"  No,  I  will  not,  Neil.  I  will  not  take  your  hands. 
Often  I  have  told  you  that." 

"Just  for  to-night,  forgive  me,  Katherine." 

"  I  am  sorry  that  all  must  end  so :  I  cannot  dance 
any  more  with  you ;  "  and  then  she  affected  to  hear 
her  mother  calling,  and  left  him  standing  among 
the  jocund  crowd,  hopeless  and  distraught  with 
grief.  He  was  not  able  to  recover  himself,  and  the 
noise  and  laughter  distracted  and  made  him  angry. 
He  had  expected  so  much  from  this  occasion,  from 
its  influence  and  associations ;  and  it  had  been  al- 
together a  disappointment.  Mrs.  Gordon's  presence 
troubled  him,  and  he  was  not  free  from  jealousy  re- 
garding the  young  dominie.  He  had  received  a  call 
from  a  church  in  Haarlem ;  and  the  Consistory  had 
requested  him  to  become  a  member  of  the  Coetus, 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON"  125 

and  accept  it  Joris  had  interested  himself  much 
in  his  favor ;  Katherine  listened  with  evident  pleas- 
ure to  his  conversation.  The  fire  of  jealousy  burns 
with  very  little  fuel ;  and  Neil  went  away  from  Jo- 
anna's wedding-feast  hating  very  cordially  the 
young  and  handsome  Dominie  Lambertus  Van 
Linden. 

The  elder  noticed  every  thing,  and  he  was  angry 
at  this  new  turn  in  affairs.  He  felt  as  if  Joris  had 
purposely  brought  the  dominie  into  his  house  to 
further  embarrass  Neil;  and  he  said  to  his  wife  after 
their  return  home,  "Janet,  our  son  Neil  has  lost 
the  game  for  Katherine  Yan  Heemskirk.  I  dinna 
care  a  bodle  for  it  now.  A  man  that  gets  the  woman 
he  wants  vera  seldom  gets  any  other  gude  thing." 

"  Elder !" 

"Ah,  weel,  there's  excepts!  I  hae  mind  o'  them. 
But  Neil  won't  be  long  daunted.  I  looked  in  on  him 
as  I  cam'  up-stairs.  He  was  sitting  wi'  a  law 
treatise,  trying  to  read  his  trouble  awa.  He's  a 
brave  soul.  He'll  hae  honors  and  charges  in  plenty ; 
and  there's  vera  few  women  that  are  worth  a  gude 
office— if  you  hae  to  choose  atween  them." 

"  You  go  back  on  your  ain  words,  elder.  Tak'  a 
sleep  to  yoursel'.  Your  pillow  may  gie  you  wisdom." 

And,  while  this  conversation  was  taking  place, 
they  heard  the  pleasant  voices  of  Yan  Heemskirk's 
departing  guests,  as,  with  snatches  of  song  and 
merry  laughter,  they  convoyed  Batavius  and  his 
bride  to  their  own  home.  And,  when  they  got  there, 
Batavius  lifted  up  his  lantern  and  showed  them  the 
motto  he  had  chosen  for  its  lintel;  and  it  passed 
from  lip  to  lip,  till  it  was  lifted  altogether,  and  the 
young  couple  crossed  their  threshold  to  his  ringing 
good-will,— 

"Poverty— always  a  day's  sail  behind  us!" 


126  TEE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

CHAPTEE  IX. 

KATHEKINE'S  DECISION. 

44 The  hours  of  love  fill  full  the  echoing  space 
With  sweet  coufederate  music  favorable." 

*'  Now  many  memories  make  solicitous 
The  delicate  love  lines  of  her  mouth,  till  lit 
With  quivering  fire,'. the  words  take  wing  from  it; 
As  here  between  our  kisses  we  sit  thus 
Speaking  of  things  remembered,  and  so  sit 
Speechless  while  things  forgotten  call  to  us." 

JOANNA'S  wedding  occurred  at  the  beginning  of 
the  winter  and  the  winter  festivities.  But,  amid  all 
the  dining  and  dancing  and  skating,  there  was  a 
political  anxiety  and  excitement  that  leavened 
strongly  every  social  and  domestic  event.  The  first 
Colonial  Congress  had  passed  the  three  resolutions 
which  proved  to  be  the  key-note  of  resistance  and  of 
liberty.  Joris  had  emphatically  indorsed  its  action. 
The  odious  Stamp  Act  was  to  be  met  by  the  refusal 
of  American  merchants  either  to  import  English 
goods,  or  to  sell  them  upon  commission,  until  it  was 
repealed.  Homespun  became  fashionable.  During 
the  first  three  months  of  the  year,  it  was  a  kind  of 
disgrace  to  wear  silk  or  satin  or  broadcloth ;  and  a 
great  fair  was  opened  for  the  'sale  of  articles  of 
home  manufacture.  The  Government  kept  its  hand 
upon  the  sword.  The  people  were  divided  into  two 
parties,  bitterly  antagonistic  to  each  other.  The 
"Sons  of  Liberty  "were  keeping  guard  over  the  pole 
which  symbolized  their  determination ;  the  British 
soldiery  were  swaggering  and  boasting  and  openly 
insulting  patriots  on  the  streets ;  and  the  "  New- 
York  Gazette,"  in  flaming  articles,  was  stimulating 
to  the  utmost,  the  spirit  of  resistance  to  tyranny. 

And  these  great  public  interests  had  in  every 
family  their  special  modifications.  Joris  was  among 
the  two  hundred  New-York  merchants  who  put  their 
names  to  the  resolutions  of  the  October  Congress; 
Bram  was  a  conspicuous  member  of  the  "  Sons  of 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  127 

Liberty;"  but  Batavius,  though  conscientiously 
with  the  people's  party,  was  very  sensible  of  the  an- 
noyance and  expense  it  put  him  to.  Only  a  part  of 
his  house  was  finished,  but  the  building  of  the  rest 
was  in  progress ;  and  many  things  were  needed  for 
its  elegant  completion,  which  were  only  to  be 
bought  from  Tory  importers,  and  which  had  been 
therefore  nearly  doubled  in  value.  When  liberty 
interfered  with  the  private  interests  of  Batavius,  he 
had  his  doubts  as  to  whether  it  was  liberty.  Often 
Bram's  overt  disloyalty  irritated  him  beyond  en- 
durance. For,  since  he  had  joined  the  ranks  of 
married  men-  and  householders,  Batavius  felt  that 
unmarried  men  ought  to  wait  for  the  opinions  and 
leadership  of  those  who  had  responsibilities. 

Joanna  talked  precisely  as  Batavius  talked.  All 
of  his  enunciations  met  with  her  "Amen."  There 
are  women  who  are  incapable  of  but  one  affection, — 
that  one  which  affects  them  in  especial,— and  Joanna 
was  of  this  order.  "  My  husband  "  was  perpetually 
on  her  tongue.  She  looked  upon  her  position  as  a 
wife  and  housekeeper  as  unique.  Other  women 
might  have,  during  the  past  six  thousand  years, 
held  these  positions  in  an  indifferent  kind  of  way; 
but  only  she  had  ever  comprehended  and  properly 
fulfilled  the  duties  they  involved.  Madam  Van 
Heemskirk  smiled  a  little  when  Joanna  gave  her 
advices  about  her  house  and  her  duties,  when  she 
disapproved  of  her  father's  political  attitude,  when 
she  looked  injured  by  Bram's  imprudence. 

"Not  only  is  wisdom  born  with  Joanna  and 
Batavius,  it  will  also  die  with  them  :  so  they  think," 
said  Katherine  indignantly,  after  one  of  Joanna's 
periodical  visitations. 

A  tear  twinkled  in  madam's  eyes;  but  she  an- 
swered, "I  shall  not  distress  myself  over  much. 
Always  I  have  said,  '  Joanna  has  a  little  soul.  Only 
what  is  for  her  own  good  can  she  love.'  " 

"  It  is  Batavius ;  and  a  woman  must  love  her  hus- 
band, mother." 

"  That  is  the  truth :  first  and  best  of  all,  she  must 
love  him,  Katherine ;  but  not  as  the  dog  loves  and 


128  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

fawns  on  his  master,  or  the  squaw  bends  down  to 
her  brave.  A  good  woman  gives  not  up  her  own 
principles  and  thoughts  and  ways.  A  good  woman 
will  remember  the  love  of  her  father  and  mother  and 
brother  and  sister,  her  old  home,  her  old  friends ; 
and  contempt  she  will  not  feel  and  show  for  the  things 
of  the  past,  which  often,  for  her,  were  far  better  than 
she  was  worthy  of." 

"  There  is  one  I  love,  mother,  love  with  all  my 
soul.  For  him  I  would  die.  But  for  thee  also  I 
would  die.  Love  thee,  mother  ?  I  love  thee  and  my 
father  better  because  I  love  him.  My  mother,  fret 
thee  not,  nor  think  that  ever  Joanna  can  really  for- 
get thee.  If  a  daughter  could  forget  her  good 
father  and  her  good  mother,  then  with  the  women 
who  sit  weeping  in  the  outer  darkness  God  would 
justly  give  her  her  portion.  Such  a  daughter  could 
not  be." 

Lysbet  sadly  shook  her  head.  "When  I  was  a 
little  girl,  Katherine,  I  read  in  a  book  about  the  old 
Romans,  how  a  wicked  daughter  over  the  bleeding 
corpse  of  her  father  drove  her  chariot.  She  wanted 
his  crown  for  her  own  husband ;  and  over  the  warm, 
quivering  body  of  her  father  she  drove.  When  I 
read  that  story,  Katherine,  my  eyes  I  covered  with 
my  hands.  I  thought  such  a  wicked  woman  in  the 
world  could  not  be.  Alas,  mijnMnd!  often  since 
then  I  have  seen  daughters  over  the  bleeding  hearts 
of  their  mothers  and  fathers  drive ;  and  frown  and 
scold  and  be-  much  injured  and  offended  if  once,  in 
their  pain  and  sorrow,  they  cry  out." 

"  But  this  of  me  remember,  mother:  if  I  am  not 
near  thee,  I  shall  be  loving  thee,  thinking  of  thee ; 
telling  my  husband,  and  perhaps  my  little  children, 
about  thee, — how  good  thou  art,  how  pretty,  how 
wise.  I  will  order  my  house  as  thou  hast  taught 
me,  and  my  own  dear  ones  will  love  me  better  be- 
cause I  love  thee.  If  to  my  own  mother  I  be  not 
true,  can  my  husband  be  sure  I  will  be  true  to  him, 
if  comes  the  temptation  strong  enough  ?  Sorry 
would  I  be  if  my  heart  only  one  love  could  hold,  and 
ever  the  last  love  the  strong  love." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  129 

Still,  in  spite  of  this  home  trouble,  and  in  spite  of 
the  national  anxiety,  the  winter  months  went  with  a 
delightsome  peace  and  regularity  in  the  VanHeems- 
kirk  household.  Neil  Semple  ceased  to  visit  Kath- 
erine  after  Joanna's  wedding.  There  was  no  quarrel, 
and  no  interruption  to  the  kindness  that  had  so  long 
existed  between  the  families :  frequently  they  walked 
from  kirk  together, — Madam  Semple  and  Madam 
Van  Heemskirk,  Joris  and  the  elder,  Katherine  and 
Neil.  But  Neil  never  again  offered  her  his  hand ; 
and  such  conversation  as  they  had  was  constrained, 
and  of  the  most  conventional  character. 

Very  frequently,  also,  Dominie  Van  Linden  spent 
the  evening  with  them.  Joris  delighted  in  his 
descriptions  of  Java  and  Surinam ;  and  Lysbet  and 
Katherine  knit  their  stockings,  and  listened  to  the 
conversation.  It  was  evident  that  the  young  min- 
ister was  deeply  in  love,  and  equally  evident  that 
Katherine's  parents  favored  his  suit.  But  the  lover 
felt,  that,  whenever  he  attempted  to  approach  her  as 
a  lover.  Katherine  surrounded  herself  with  an  at- 
mosphere that  froze  the  words  of  admiration  or  en- 
treaty upon  his  lips. 

Joris,  however,  spoke  for  him.  "He  has  told  me 
how  truly  he  loves  thee.  Like  an  honest  man  he 
loves  thee,  and  he  will  make  thee  a  wife  honored  of 
many.  No  better  husband  can  thou  have,  Kather- 
ine." So  spoke  her  father  to  her  one  evening  in  the 
early  spring,  as  they  stood  together  over  the  bud- 
ding snowdrops  and'crocus. 

"  There  is  no  love  in  my  heart  for  him,  father." 

"  Neil  pleases  thee  not,  nor  the  dominie.  Whom 
would  thou  have,  then  ?  Surely  not  that  English- 
man now  ?  The  whole  race  I  hate,— swaggering, 
boastful  tyrants,  all  of  them.  I  will  not  give  thee  to 
any  Englishman.*' 

"If  I  marry  not  him,  then  will  I  stay  with  thee 
always." 

"  Nonsense  that  is.  Thou  must  marry,  like  other 
women.  But  not  him :  I  would  never  forgive  thee; 
I  would  never  see  thy  face  again." 

"  Very  hard  art  thou  to  me.    I  love  Eichard  :  can 


130  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

I  love  this  one  and  then  that  one  ?  If  I  were  so 
light-of-love,  contempt  I  should  have  from  all,  even 
from  thee." 

"Now,  I  have  something  to  say.  I  have  heard 
that  some  one, — very  like  to  thee, — some  one,  went 
twice  or  three  times  with  Mrs.  Gordon  to  see  the 
man  when  he  lay  ill  at  the  '  King's  Arms.'  To  such 
talk,  my  anger  and  my  scorn  soon  put  an  end ;  and 
I  will  not  ask  of  thee  whether  it  be  true,  or  whether 
it  be  false.  For  a  young  girl  I  can  feel." 

"  O  father,  if  for  me  thou  could  feel !  " 

"  See,  now,  if  I  thought  this  man  would  be  to  thee 
a  good  husband,  I  would  say,  '  God  made  him,  and 
God  does  not  make  all  his  men  Dutchmen;'  and  I 
would  forgive  him  his  light,  loose  life,  and  his 
wicked  wasting  of  gold  and  substance,  and  give  thee 
to  him,  with  thy  fortune  and  with  my  blessing.  But 
I  think  he  will  be  to  thee  a  careless  husband.  He 
will  get  tired  of  thy  beauty;  thy  goodness  he  will 
not  value;  thy  money  he  will  soon  spend.  Three 
sweethearts  had  he  in  New  York  before  thee.  Their 
very  names,  I  dare  say,  he  hath  forgotten  ere  this." 

"  If  Richard  could  make  you  sure,  father,  that  he 
would  be  a  good  husband,  would  you  then  be  con- 
tent that  we  should  be  married  ?  " 

"  That  he  cannot  do.  Can  the  night  make  me  sure 
it  is  the  day  ?  Once  very  much  I  respected  Batavius. 
I  said,  '  He  is  a  strict  man  of  business ;  honorable, 
careful,  and  always  apt  to  make  a  good  bargain. 
He  does  not  drink  nor  swear,  and  he  is  a  firm  mem- 
ber of  the  true  Church.  He  will  make  my  Joanna  a 
good  husband.'  That  was  what  I  thought.  Now  I 
see  that  he  is  a  very  small,  envious,  greedy  man ; 
and  like  himself  he  quickly  made  thy  sister.  This 
is  what  I  fear:  if  thou  marry  that  soldier,  either 
thou  must  grow  like  he  is,  or  else  he  will  hate  thee, 
and  make  thee  miserable." 

"Just  eighteen  I  am.  Let  us  not  talk  of  hus- 
bands. Why  are  you  so  hurried,  father,  to  give  me 
to  this  strange  dominie  ?  Little  is  known  of  him 
but  what  he  says.  It  is  easy  for  him  to  speak  well 
of  Lambertus  Van  Linden."  ' 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  131 

"The  committe  from  the  Great  Consistory  have 
examined  his  testimonials.  They  are  very  good. 
And, I  am  not  in  a  hurry  to  give  thee  away.  What  I 
fear  is,  that  thou  wilt  be  a  foolish  woman,  and  give 
thyself  away." 

Katherine  stood  with  dropped  head,  looking  appar- 
ently at  the  brown  earth,  and  the  green  box  borders, 
and  the  shoots  of  white  and  purple  and  gold.  But 
what  she  really  saw,  was  the  pale,  handsome  face  of 
her  sick  husband,  its  pathetic  entreaty  for  her  love, 
its  joyful  flush,  when  with  bridal  kisses  he  whispered, 
'  Wife,  wife,  wife!" 

Joris  watched  her  curiously.  The  expression  on 
her  face  he  could  not  understand.  "  So  happy  she 
looks  !  "  he  thought,  "  and  for  what  reason  ?  " 
Katherine  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Who  has  told  you  any  thing  about  Capt.  Hyde,, 
father?" 

"  Many  have  spoken." 

"  Does  he  get  back  his  good  health  again  ?  " 

"I  hear  that.  When  the  warm  days  come,  to  En- 
land  he  is  going.  So  says  Jacob  Cohen.  What  has- 
Mrs.  Gordon  told  thee  ?  for  to  see  her  I  know  thou 
goes." 

"  Twice  only  have  I  been.    I  heard  not  of  England.'* 

"  But  that  is  certain.  He  will  go,  and  what  then  ? 
Thee  he  will  quite  forget,  and  never  more  will  thou 
see  or  hear  tell  of  him." 

"  That  I  believe  not.  In  the  cold  winter  one  would 
have  said  of  these  flowers,  'They  come  no  more.' 
But  the  winter  goes  away,  and  then  here  they  are. 
Eichard  has  been  in  the  dead  valley,  der  schaduwe 
des  doods.  Sometimes  I  thought,  he  will  come  back 
to  me  no  more.  But  now  I  am  sure  I  shall  see  him 
again." 

Joris  turned  sadly  away.  That  night  he  did  not 
speak  to  her  more.  But  he  had  the  persistence 
which  is  usually  associated  with  slow  natures.  He 
could  not  despair.  He  felt  that  he  must  go  steadily 
on  trying  to  move  Katherine  to  what  he  really  be- 
lieved was  her  highest  interest.  And  he  permitted 
nothing  to  discourage  him  for  very  long.  Dominie 


132  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Van  Linden  was  also  a  prudent  man.  He  had  no 
intention  in  his  wooing  to  make  haste  and  lose  speed. 
As  to  Katherine's  love  troubles,  he  had  not  been  left 
in  ignorance  of  them.  A  great  many  people  had 
given  him  such  information  as  would  enable  him  to 
keep  his  own  heart  from  the  wiles  of  the  siren.  He 
had  also  a  wide  knowledge  of  books  and  life,  and  in 
the  light  of  this  knowledge  he  thought  he  could 
understand  her.  But  the  conclusion  that  he  delib- 
erately came  to,  was,  that  Katherine  had  cared 
neither  for  Hyde  or  Semple,  and  that  the  unpleasant 
termination  of  their  courtship  had  made  her  shy  of 
all  lover-like  attentions.  He  believed  that  if  he 
advanced  cautiously  to  her  he  might  have  the  felicity 
of  surprising  and  capturing  her  virgin  affection. 
And  just  about  so  far  does  any  amount  of  wisdom 
and  experience  help  a  man  in  a  love  perplexity; 
because  every  mortal  woman  is  a  different  woman, 
and  no  two  can  be  wooed  and  won  in  precisely  the 
same  way. 

Amid  all  these  different  elements,  political,  social, 
and  domestic,  Nature  kept  her  own  even,  unvarying 
course.  The  gardens  grew  every  day  fairer,  the  air 
more  soft  and  balmy,  the  sunshine  warmer  and  more 
cherishing.  Katherine  was  not  unhappy.  As  Hyde 
grew  stronger,  he  spent  his  hours  in  writing  long 
letters  to  his  wife.  He  told  her  every  trivial  event, 
he  commented  on  all  she  told  him.  And  her  letters 
revealed  to  him  a  soul  so  pure,  so  true,  so  loving, 
that  he  vowed  "  he  fell  in  love  with  her  afresh  every 
day  of  his  life. "  Katherine's  communications  reached 
her  husband  readily  by  the  ordinary  post;  Hyde's 
had  to  be  sent  through  Mrs.  Gordon.  But  it  was 
evident  from  the  first  that  Katherine  could  not  call 
there  for  them.  Col.  Gordon  would  soon  have 
objected  to  being  made  an  obvious  participant  in  his 
nephew's  clandestine  correspondence;  and  Joris 
would  have  decidedly  interfered  with  visits  sure  to 
cause  unpleasant  remarks  about  his  daughter.  The 
medium  was  found  in  the  man tu a- maker,  Miss  Pitt. 
Mrs.  Gordon  was  her  most  profitable  customer,  and 
Katherine  went  there  for  needles  and  threads  and 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  133 

such  small  wares  as  are  constantly  needed  in  a 
household.  And  whenever  she  did  so,  Miss  Pitt  was 
sure  to  remark,  in  an  after- thought  kind  of  way, 
"Oh,  I  had  nearly  forgotten,  miss!  Here  is  a  small 
parcel  that  Mrs.  Gordon  desired  me  to  present  to 
you." 

One  exquisite  morning  in  May,  Katherine  stood  at 
an  open  window  looking  over  the  garden  and  the 
river,  and  the  green  hills  and  meadows  across  the 
stream.  Her  heart  was  full  of  hope.  Richard's  re- 
covery was  so  far  advanced  that  he  had  taken  sev- 
eral rides  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  Always  he  had 
passed  the  Van  Heemskirk's  house,  and  always 
Katherine  had  been  waiting  to  rain  down  upon  his 
lifted  face  the  influence  of  her  most  bewitching 
beauty  and  her  tenderest  smiles.  She  was  thinking 
of  the  last  of  these  events,— of  Eichard's  rapid  exhi- 
bition of  a  long,  folded  paper,  and  the  singular  and 
emphatic  wave  which  he  gave  it  toward  the  river. 
His  whole  air  and  attitude  had  expressed  delight 
and  hope :  could  he  really  mean  that  she  was  to  meet 
him  again  at  their  old  trysting-place  ? 

As  thus  she  happily  mused,  some  one  called  her 
mother  from  the  front  hall.  On  fine  mornings  it 
was  customary  to  leave  the  door  standing  open ;  and 
the  visitor  advanced  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and 
called  once  more,  "Lysbet  Van  Heemskirk!  Is 
there  naebody  in  to  bid  me  welcome  ? "  Then 
Katherine  knew  it  was  Madam  Semple ;  and  she  ran 
to  her  mother's  room,  and  begged  her  to  go  down 
and  receive  the  caller.  For  in  these  days  Katherine 
dreaded  Madam  Semple  a  little.  Very  naturally, 
the  mother  blamed  her  for  Neil's  suffering  and  loss 
of  time  and  prestige;  and  she  found  it  hard  to  for- 
give also  her  positive  rejection  of  his  suit.  For  her 
sake,  she  herself  had  been  made  to  suffer  mortifica- 
tion and  disappointment.  She  had  lost  her  friends 
in  a  way  which  deprived  her  of  all  the  fruits  of  her 
kindness.  The  Gordons  thought  Neil  had  trans- 

gressed  all  the  laws  of  hospitality.    The  Semples 
ad  a  similiar  charge  to  make.    And  it  provoked 
Madam  Semple  that  Mrs.   Gordon  continued  her 


134  TEE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

friendship  with  Katherine.  Every  one  else  blamed 
Katherine  altogether  in  the  matter:  Mrs.  Gordon 
had  defied  the  use  and  wont  of  society  on  such  occa- 
sions, and  thrown  the  whole  blame  on  Neil.  Some- 
how, in  her  secret  heart,  she  even  blamed  Lysbet  a 
little.  "Ever  since  I  told  her  there  was  an  earldom 
in  the  family,  she's  been  daft  to  push  her  daughter 
into  it,"  was  her  frequent  remark  to  the  elder;  and 
he  also  reflected  that  the  proposed  alliance  of  Neil 
and  Katherine  had  been  received  with  coolness  by 
Joris  and  Lysbet.  "It  was  the  soldier  or  the 
dominie,  either  o'  them  before  our  Neil;"  and, 
though  there  was  no  apparent  diminution  of  friend- 
ship, Semple  and  his  wife  frequently  had  a  little 
private  grumble  at  their  own  fireside. 

And  toward  Neil,  Joris  had  also  a  secret  feeling 
of  resentment.  He  had  taken  no  pains  to  woo 
Katherine  until  some  one  else  wanted  her.  It  was 
universally  conceded  that  he  had  been  the  first  to 
draw  his  sword,  and  thus  indulge  his  own  temper  at 
the  expense  of  their  child's  good  name  and  happi- 
ness. Taking  these  faults  as  rudimentary  ones, 
Lysbet  could  enlarge  on  them  indefinitely;  and 
Joris  had  undoubtedly  been  influenced  by  his  wife's 
opinions.  So,  below  the  smiles  and  kind  words  of  a 
long  friendship,  there  was  bitterness.  If  there  had 
not  been,  Janet  Semple  would  hardly  have  paid  that 
morning  visit ;  for  before  Lysbet  was  half  way  down 
the  stairs,  Katherine  heard  her  call  out, — 

"  Here's  a  bonnie  come  of.  But  it  is  what  a'  folks 
expected.  'The  Dauntless'  sailed  the  morn,  and 
Capt.  Earle  wi'  a  contingent  for  the  West  Indies 
station.  And  who  wi'  him,  guess  you,  but  CaptT 
Hyde,  and  no  less  ?  They  say  he  has  a  furlough  in 
his  pocket  for  a  twelve-month:  more  like  it's  a 
clean,  total  dismissal.  The  gude  ken  it  ought  to 
be." 

So  much  Katheriue  heard,  then  her  mother  shut  to 
the  door  of  the  sitting-room.  A  great  fear  made  her 
turn  faint  and  sick.  Were  her  father's  words  true? 
Was  this  the  meaning  of  the  mysterious  wave  of  the 
folded  paper  toward  the  ocean?  The  suspicion 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  135 

once  entertained,  she  remembered  several  little 
things  which  strengthened  it.  Her  heart  failed  her : 
she  uttered  a  low  cry  of  pain,  and  tottered  to  a  chair, 
like  one  wounded. 

It  was  then  ten  o'clock.  She  thought  the  noon 
hour  would  never  come.  Eagerly  she  watched  for 
Bram  and  her  father;  for  any  certainty  would  be 
better  than  such  cruel  fear  and  suspense.  And,  if 
Richard  had  really  gone,  the  fact  would  be  known 
to  them.  Bram  came  first.  For  once  she  felt  im- 
patient of  his  political  enthusiasm.  How  could  she 
care  about  liberty  poles  and  impressed  fishermen, 
with  such  a  real  terror  at  her  heart?  But  Bram 
said  nothing ;  only,  as  he  went  out,  she  caught  him 
looking  at  her  with  such  pitiful  eyes.  "  What  did 
he  mean  ?  "  She  turned  coward  then,  and  could  not 
voice  the  question.  Joris  was  tenderly  explicit.  He 
said  to  her  at  once,  "'The  Dauntless'  sailed  this 
morning.  Oh,  my  little  one,  sorry  I  am  for  thee !  " 

"  Is  he  gone  ? "  Very  low  and  slow  were  the 
words;  and  Joris  only  answered,  "Yes." 

Without  any  further  question  or  remark,  she  went 
away.  They  were  amazed  at  her  calmness.  And  for 
some  minutes  after  she  had  locked  the  door  of  her 
room,  she  stood  still  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  more 
like  one  that  has  forgotten  something,  and  is  trying 
to  remember,  than  a  woman  who  has  received  a 
blow  upon  her  heart.  No  tears  came  to  her  eyes. 
She  did  not  think  of  weeping,  or  reproaching,  or 
lamenting.  The  only  questions  she  asked  herself 
were,  "  How  am  I  to  get  life  over  ?  Will  such  suf- 
fering kill  me  very  soon  ?  " 

Joris  and  Lysbet  talked  it  over  together.  "  Cohen 
told  me,"  said  Joris,  "that  Capt.  Hyde  called  to  bid 
him  good-by.  He  said,  'He  is  a  very  honorable 
young  man,  a  very  grateful  young  man,  and  I  re- 
joice that  I  was  helpful  in  saving  his  life.'  Then  I 
asked  him  in  what  ship  he  was  to  sail,  and  he  said 
'The  Dauntless.'  She  left  her  moorings  this  morn- 
ing between  nine  and  ten.  She  carries  troops  to 
Kingston,  Capt.  Earle  in  command ;  and  I  heard 
that  Capt.  Hyde  has  a  year's  furlough." 


136  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

Lysbet  drew  her  lips  tight,  and  said  nothing.  The 
last  shadow  of  her  own  dream  had  departed  also, 
but  it  was  of  her  child  she  thought.  At  that  hour 
she  hated  Hyde ;  and,  after  Joris  had  gone,  she  said 
in  low,  angry  tones,  over  and  over,  as  she  folded  the 
freshly  ironed  linen,  "  I  wish  that  Neil  had  killed 
him!"  About  two  o'clock  she  went  to  Katherine. 
The  girl  opened  her  door  at  once  to  her.  There  was 
nothing  to  be  said,  no  hope  to  offer.  Joris  had 
seen  Hyde  embark ;  he  had  heard  Mrs.  Gordon  and 
the  colonel  bid  him  farewell.  Several  of  his  brother 
officers,  also,  and  the  privates  of  his  own  troop,  had 
been  on  the  dock  to  see  him  sail.  His  departure  was 
beyond  dispute. 

And  even  while  she  looked  at  the  woeful  young 
face  before  her,  the  mother  anticipated  the  smaller, 
festering  sorrows  that  would  spring  from  this  great 
one, — the  shame  and  mortification ;  the  mockery  of 
those  who  had  envied  Katherine;  the  inquiries, 
condolences,  and  advices  of  friends;  the  complacent 
self-congratulation  of  Batavius,  who  would  be  cer- 
tain to  remind  them  of  every  provoking  admonition 
he  had  given  on  the  subject.  And  who  does  not 
know  that  these  little  trials  6f  life  are  its  hardest 
trials  ?  The  mother  did  not  attempt  to  say  one  word 
of  comfort,  or  hope,  or  excuse.  She  only  took  the 
child  in  her  arms,  and  wept  for  her.  At  this  hour 
she  would  not  wound  her  by  even  -an  angry  word 
concerning  him. 

"  I  loved  him  so  much,  moeder." 

"  Thou  could  not  help  it.  Handsome,  and  gallant, 
and  gay  he  was.  I  never  shall  forget  seeing  thee 
dance  with  him." 

"  And  he  did  love  me.  A  woman  knows  when  she 
is  loved." 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  he  loved  thee." 

"  He  has  gone  ?  Really  gone  ?  " 

"  No  doubt  is  there  of  it.  Stay  in  thy  room,  and 
have  thy  grief  out  with  thyself."  * 

"  No ;  I  will  come  to  my  work.  Every  day  will 
now  be  the  same.  I  shall  look  no  more  for  any  joy ; 
but  my  duty  I  will  do." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  137 

They  went  down-stairs  together.  The  clean  linen, 
the  stockings  that  required  mending,  lay  upon  the 
table.  Katherine  sat'down  to  the  task.  Kesolutely, 
but  almost  unconsciously,  she  put  her  needle 
through  and  through.  Her  suffering  was  pitiful; 
this  little  one,  who  a  few  months  ago  would  have 
wept  for  a  cut  finger,  now  silently  battling  with  the 
bitterest  agony  that  can  come  to  a  loving  woman,— 
the  sense  of  cruel,  unexpected,  unmerited  desertion. 
At  first  Lysbet  tried  to  talk  to  her;  but  she  soon 
saw  that  the  effort  to  answer  was  beyond  Kather- 
ine's  power,  and  conversation  was  abandoned.  So 
for  an  hour,  an  hour  of  speechless  sorrow,  they  sat. 
The  tick  of  the  clock,  the  purr  of  the  cat,  the  snap 
of  a  breaking  thread,  alone  relieved  the  tension  of 
silence  in  which  this  act  of  suffering  was  completed. 
Its  atmosphere  was  becoming  intolerable,  like  that 
of  a  nightmare;  and  Lysbet  was  feeling  that  she 
must  speak  and  move,  and  so  dissipate  it,  when 
there  was  a  loud  knock  at  the  front-door. 

Katherine  trembled  all  over.  "  To-day  I  cannot 
bear  it,  mother.  No  one  can  I  see.  I  will  go  up- 
stairs." 

Ere  the  words  were  finished,  Mrs.  Gordon's  voice 
was  audible.  She  came  into  the  room  laughing,  with 
the  smell  of  fresh  violets  and  the  feeling  of  the  brisk 
wind  around  her.  "Dear  madam,"  she  cried,  "I 
entreat  you  for  a  favor.  I  am  going  to  take  the  air 
this  afte'rnoon  :  be  so  good  as  to  let  Katherine  come 
with  me.  For  I  must  tell  you  that  the  colonel  has 
orders  for  Boston,  and  I  may  see  my  charming 
friend  no  more  after  to-day." 

"  Katherine,  what  say  you  ?  Will  you  go  ?  " 

"  Please,  mijn  moeder." 

"Make  great  haste,  then."  For  Lysbet  was 
pleased  with  the  offer,  and  fearful  that  Joris  might 
arrive,  and  refuse  to  let  his  daughter  accept  it.  She 
hoped  that  Katherine  would  receive  some  comfort- 
ing message ;  and  she  was  glad  that  on  this  day,  of 
all  others,  Capt.  Hyde's  aunt  should  be  seen  with 
her.  It  would  in  some  measure  stop  evil  surmises ; 
and  it  left  an  air  of  uncertainty  about  the  captain's 


138  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

relationship  to  Katherine,  which  made  the  humilia- 
tion of  his  departure  less  keen. 

"Stay  not  long,"  she  whispered,  "for  your 
father's  sake.  There  is  no  good,  more  trouble  to 
give  him." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  you  look  like  a  ghost.  Have  you 
not  one  smile  for  a  woman  so  completely  in  your  in- 
terest ?  When  I  promised  Dick  this  morning  that  I 
would  be  sure  to  get  word  to  you,  I  was  at  my  wits' 
end  to  discover  a  way.  But,  when  I  am  between  the 
horns  of  a  dilemma,  I  find  it  the  best  plan  to  take 
the  bull  by  the  horns.  Hence,  I  have  made  you  a 
visit  which  seems  to  have  quite  nonplussed  you  and 
your  good  mother." 

"  I  thought  Kichard  had  gone." 

"  And  you  were  breaking  your  heart,  that  is  easy 
to  be  seen.  He  has  gone,  but  he  will  come  back  to- 
night at  eight  o'clock.  No  matter  what  happens,  be 
at  the  river-side.  Do  not  fail  Dick :  he  is  taking  his 
life  in  his  hand  to  see  you." 

"  I  will  be  there." 

"La!  what  are  you  crying  for,  child  ?  Poor  girl! 
What  are  you  crying  for  ?  Dick,  the  scamp  ?  He  is 
not  worthy  of  such  pure  tears ;  and  yet,  believe  me, 
he  loves  you  to  distraction." 

"  I  thought  he  had  gone — gone,  without  a  word." 

"  Faith,  you  are  not  complimentary !  I  flatter  my- 
self that  our  Dick  is  a  gentleman';  I  do,  indeed. 
And,  as  he  is  yet  perfectly  in  his  senses,  you  might 
have  trusted  him." 

"•  And  you,  do  you  go  to  Boston  to-morrow  ?  " 

"The  colonel  does.  At  present,  I  have  no  such 
intention.  But  I  had  to  have  some  extraordinary 
excuse,  and  I  could  invent  no  other.  However,  you 
may  say  any  thing,  if  you  only  say  it  with  an  assur- 
ance. Madam  wished  me  a  pleasant  journey.  I 
felt  a  little  sorry  to  deceive  so  fine  a  lady." 
,  "  When  will  Eichard  return  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  I  think  you  will  have  to  answer  for  his 
resolves.  But  he  will  speak  for  himself;  and,  in 
in  faith,  I  told  him  that  he  had  come  to  a  point 
where  I  would  be  no  longer  responsible  for  his  ac- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  139 

tions.    I  am  thankful  to  own  that  I  have  some  con- 
science left." 

The  ride  was  not  a  very  pleasant  one.  Katherine 
could  not  help  feeling  that  Mrs.  Gordon  was  distrait 
and  inconsistent;  and,  toward  its  close,  she  became 
very  silent.  Yet  she  kissed  her  kindly,  and  drawing 
her  closely  for  a  last  word,  said,  "  Do  not  forget  to 
wear  your  wadded  cloak  and  hood.  You  may  have 
to  take  the  water;  for  the  councillor  is  very  sus- 
picious, let  me  tell  you.  Kemember  what  I  say, — 
the  wadded  cloak  and  hood ;  and  good-by,  good-by, 
my  dear." 

"  Shall  I  see  you  soon  ?" 

"  When  we  may  meet  again,  I  do  not  pretend  to 
say:  till  then,  I  am  entirely  yours;  and  so  again 
good-by." 

The  ride  had  not  occupied  an  hour;  but,  when 
Katherine  got  home,  Lysbet  was  making  tea.  "  A 
cup  will  be  good  for  you,  mijn  kind."  And  she 
smiled  tenderly  in  the  face  that  had  been  so  white 
in  its  woeful  anguish,  but  on  which  there  was  now 
the  gleam  of  hope.  And  she  perceived  that  Kather- 
ine had  received  some  message,  she  even  divined 
that  there  might  be  some  appointment  to  keep ;  and 
she  determined  not  to  be  too  wise  and  prudent,  but 
to  trust  Katherine  for  this  evening  with  her  own 
destiny. 

That  night  there  was  a  meeting  at  the  Town  Hall, 
and  Joris  left  the  house  soon  after  his  tea.  He  was 
greatly  touched  by  Katherine's  effort  to  appear 
cheerful;  and  when  she  followed  him  to  the  door, 
and,  ere  he  opened  it,  put  her  arms  round  his  neck, 
and  kissed  him,  murmuring,  "  My  father,  mijn 
vader !  "  he  could  not  restrain  his  tears. 

"  Mijn  kind,  my  liefste  kind ! "  he  answered.  And 
then  his  soul  in  his  great  emotion  turned  affection- 
ately to  the  supreme  fatherhood ;  for  he  whispered 
to  himself,  as  he  walked  slowly  and  solemnly  in  the 
pleasant  evening  light:  *  Gelijk  zich  een  vader  out- 
fermt  over  de  kinderen!'*  Oh,  so  great  must  be 
Thy  pity!  My  own  heart  can  tell  that  now." 
*"  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children." 


140  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

For  an  hour  or  more  Katherine  sat  in  the  broad 
light  of  the  window,  folding  and  unfolding  the  pieces 
of  white  linen,  sewing  a  stitch  or  two  here,  and  put- 
ting on  a  button  or  tape  there.  Madam  passed 
quietly  to  and  fro  about  her  home  duties,  sometimes 
stopping  to  say  a  few  words  to  her  daughter.  It  was 
a  little  interval  of  household  calm,  full  of  household 
work;  of  love  assured  without  need  of  words,  of 
confidence  anchored  in  undoubting  souls.  When 
Lysbet  was  ready  to  do  so,  she  began  to  lay  into  the 
deep  drawers  of  the  presses  the  table-linen  which 
Katherine  had  so  neatly  and  carefully  examined. 
Over  a  pile  of  fine  damask  napkins  she  stood,  with  a 
perplexed,  annoyed  face ;  and  Katherine,  detecting 
it,  at  once  understood  the  cause. 

"  One  is  wanting  of  the  dozen,  mother.  At  the  last 
cake-baking,  with  the  dish  of  cake  sent  to  Joanna  it 
went.  Back  it  has  not  come." 

"  For  it  you  might  go,  Katherine.  I  like  not  that 
my  sets  are  broken." 

Katherine  blushed  scarlet.  This  was  the  opportu- 
nity she  wanted.  She  wondered  if  her  mother  sus- 
pected the  want;  but  Lysbet's  face  expressed  only  a 
little  worry  about  the  missing  damask.  Slowly, 
though  her  heart  beat  almost  at  her  lips,  she  folded 
away  her  work,  and  put  her  needle,  and  thread,  and 
thimble,  and  scissors,  each  in  its  proper  place  in  her 
house-wife.  So  deliberate  were  all. her  actions,  that 
Lysbet's  suspicions  were  almost  allayed.  Yet  she 
thought,  "  If  out  she  wishes  to  go,  leave  I  have  now 
given  her;  and,  if  not,  still  the  walk  will  do  her  some 
good."  And  yet  there  was  in  her  heart  just  that 
element  of  doubt,  which,  whenever  it  is  present, 
ought  to  make  us  pause  and  reconsider  the  words  we 
are  going  to  speak  or  write,  and  the  deed  we  are 
going  to  do. 

The  nights  were  yet  chilly, — though  the  first 
blooms  were  on  the  trees, — and  the  wadded  cloak 
and  hood  were  not  so  far  out  of  season  as  to  cause 
remark.  As  she  came  down-stairs,  the  clock  struck 
seven.  There  was  yet  an  hour,  and  she  durst  not 
wait  so  long  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden  while  it  was 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  141 

early  in  the  evening.  When  her  work  was  done, 
Lysbet  frequently  walked  down  it :  she  had  a  moth- 
erly interest  in  the  budding  fruit-trees  and  the  grow- 
ing flowers.  And  a  singular  reluctance  to  leave 
home  assailed  Katherine.  If  she  had  known  that  it 
was  to  be  forever,  her  soul  could  not  have  more  sen- 
sibly taken  its  farewell  of  all  the  dear,  familiar 
objects  of  her  daily  life.  About  her  mother  this 
feeling  culminated.  She  found  her  cap  a  little  out 
of  place ;  and  her  fingers  lingered  in  the  lace,  and 
stroked  fondly  her  hair  and  pink  cheeks,  until 
Lysbet  felt  almost  embarrassed  by  the  tender,  but 
unusual  show  of  affection. 

"  Now  then,  go,  my  Katherine.  To  Joanna  give 
my  dear  love.  Tell  her  that  very  good  were  the 
cheesecakes  and  the  krullers,  and  that  to-morrow  I 
will  come  over  and  see  the  new  carpet  they  have 
bought." 

And  while  she  spoke  she  was  retying  Katherine's 
hood,  and  admiring  as  she  did  so  the  fair,  sweet  face- 
in  its  quiltings  of  crimson  satin,  and  the  small, 
dimpled  chin  resting  upon  the  fine  bow  she  tied 
under  it.  Then  she  followed  her  to  the  door,  and 
watched  her  down  the  road  until  she  saw  her  meet 
Dominie  Van  Linden,  and  stand  a  moment  holding 
his  hand.  "  A  message  I  am  going  for  my  mother," 
she  said,  as  she  firmly  refused  his  escort.  "Then 
with  madam,  your  mother,  I  will  sit  until  you  re- 
turn," he  replied  cheerfully;  and  Katherine 
answered,  "That  will  be  a  great  pleasure  to  her, 
sir." 

A  little  farther  she  walked ;  but  suddenly  remem- 
bering that  the  dominie's  visit  would  keep  her 
mother  in  the  house,  and  being  made  restless  by  the 
gathering  of  the  night  shadows,  she  turned  quickly,, 
and  taking  the  very  road  up  which  Hyde  had  come 
the  night  Neil  Semple  challenged  him,  she  entered 
the  garden  by  a  small  gate  at  its  foot,  which  was 
intended  for  the  gardener's  use.  The  lilacs  had  not 
much  foliage,  but  in  the  dim  light  her  dark,  slim, 
figure  was  undistinguishable  behind  them.  Long- 
ingly and  anxiously  she  looked  up  and  down  the 


142  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

water-way.  A  mist  was  gathering  over  it ;  and  there 
were  no  boats  in  the  channel  except  two  pleasure- 
shallops,  already  tacking  to  their  proper  piers.  "The 
Dauntless  "  had  been  out  of  sight  for  hours.  There 
was  not  the  splash  of  an  oar,  and  no  other  river 
sound  at  that  point,  but  the  low,  peculiar  "  wish-h-h  " 
of  the  turning  tide. 

In  the  pettiest  character  there  are  unfathomable 
depths ;  and  Katherine's,  though  yet  undeveloped, 
was  full  of  noble  aspirations  and  singularly  sensi- 
tive. As  she  stood  there  alone,  watching  and  wait- 
ing in  the  dim  light,  she  had  a  strange  consciousness 
of  some  mysterious  life  ante-dating  this  life ;  and  of 
a  long-forgotten  voice  filling  the  ear-chambers  of 
that  spiritual  body  which  was  the  celestial  inhabi- 
tant of  her  natural  body.  "Bichard,  Richard,"  she 
murmured ;  and  she  never  doubted  but  that  he  heard 
her. 

All  her  senses  were  keenly  on  the  alert.  Suddenly 
there  was  the  sound  of  oars,  and  the  measure  was 
that  of  steady,  powerful  strokes.  She  turned  her 
face  southward,  and  watched.  Like  a  flash  a  boat 
shot  out  of  the  shadow, — a  long,  swift  boat,  that 
came  like  a  Fate,  rapidly  and  without  hesitation,  to 
her  very  feet.  Richard  quickly  left  it,  and  with  a 
few  strokes  it  was  carried  back  into  the  dimness  of 
the  central  channel.  Then  he  turned  to  the  lilac- 
trees. 

"Katherine! " 

It  was  but  a  whisper,  but  she  heard  it.  He  opened 
his  arms,  and  she  flew  to  their  shelter  like  a  bird  to 
her  mate. 

"  My  love,  my  wife,  my  beautiful  wife!  My  true, 
good  heart!  Now,  at  last,  my  own:  nothing  shall 
part  us  again,  Katherine, — never  again.  I  have  come 
for  you — come  at  all  risks  for  you.  Only  five  min- 
utes the  boat  can  wait.  Are  you  ready  ?  " 

"I  know  not,  Richard.  My'father— my  mother"— 

"  My  husband !  Say  that  also,  beloved.  Am  I  not 
first  ?  If  you  will  not  go  with  me,  here  I  shall  stay ; 
and,  as  I  am  still  on  duty,  death  and  dishonor  will  be 
the  end.  O  Katherine,  shall  I  die  again  for  you? 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  143 

Will  you  break  my  sword  in  disgrace  over  my  head  ? 
Faith,  darling,  I  know  that  you  would  rather  die  for 
me." 

"  If  one  word  I  could  send  them !  They  suspect 
me  not.  They  think  you  are  gone.  It  will  kill  my 
father." 

"  You  shall  write  to  them  on  the  ship.  There  are  a 
dozen  fishing-boats  near  it.  We  will  send  the  letter 
by  one  of  them.  They  will  get  it  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. Sweet  Kate,  come.  Here  is  the  boat.  'The 
Dauntless'  lies  down  the  bay,  and  we  have  a  long 
pull.  My  wife,  do  you  need  more  persuasion  ?  " 

He  released  her  from  his  embrace  with  the  words, 
and  stood  holding  her  hands,  and  looking  into  her 
face.  No  woman  is  insensible  to  a  certain  kind  of 
authority;  and  there  was  fascination  as  well  as 
power  in  Hyde's  words  and  manner,  emphasized  by 
the  splendor  of  his  uniform,  and  the  air  of  command 
that  seemed  to  be  a  part  of  it. 

"  It  is  for  you  to  decide,  Katherine.  The  boat  is 
here.  Even  I  must  obey  or  disobey  orders.  Will 
you  not  go  with  me,  your  husband,  to  love  and  life 
and  honor;  or  shall  I  stay  with  you,  for  disgrace 
and  death  ?  For  from  you  I  will  not  part  again." 

She  had  no  time  to-  consider  how  much  truth  there 
was  in  this  desperate  statement.  The  boat  was 
waiting.  Richard  was  wooing  her  consent  with 
kisses  and  entreaties.  Her  own  soul  urged  her,  not 
only  by  the  joy  of  his  presence,  but  by  the  memory 
of  the  anguish  she  had  endured  that  day  in  the  ter- 
ror of  his  desertion.  From  the  first  moment  she 
had  hesitated  ;  therefore,  from  the  first  moment  she 
had  yielded.  She  clung  to  her  husband's  arm,  she 
lifted  her  face  to  his,  she  said  softly,  but  clearly,  "  I 
will  go  with  you,  Richard.  With  you  I  will  go. 
Where  to,  I  care  not  at  all." 

They  stepped  into  the  boat,  and  Hyde  said, 
"Oars."  Not  a  word  was  spoken.  He  held  her 
within  his  left  arm,  close  to  his  side,  and  partially 
covered  with  his  military  cloak.  It  was  the  boat 
belonging  to  the  commander  of  "  The  Dauntless," 
and  the  six  sailors  manning  it  sent  the  light  craft 


144  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

flying  like  an  arrow  down  the  bay.  All  the  past  was 
behiud  her.  She  had  done  what  was  irrevocable. 
For  joy  or  for  sorrow,  her  place  was  evermore  at  her 
husband's  side.  Richard  understood  the  decision 
she  was  coming  to ;  knew  that  every  doubt  and  fear 
had  vanished  when  her  hand  stole  into  his  hand, 
when  she  slightly  lifted  her  face,  and  whispered, 
"  Richard." 

They  were  practically  alone  upon  the  misty  river ; 
and  Richard  answered  the  tender  call  with  sweet, 
impassioned  kisses ;  with  low,  lover-like,  encourag- 
ing words;  with  a  silence  that  thrilled  with  such 
soft  beat  and  subsidence  of  the  spirit's  wing,  as — 

"When  it  feels,  in  cloud-girt  wayfaring, 
The  breath  of  kindred  plumes  against  itsfeet." 


CHAPTER  X. 

POPULAR   OPINION. 

"Good  people,  how  they  wrangle! 

The  manners  that  they  never  mend, 
The  characters  they  mangle! 

They  eat  and  drink,  and  scheme  and  plod, 
And  go  to  church  on  Sunday ;,  . 
And  many  are  afraid  of  God, 
And  some  of  Mrs.  Grundy." 

— Blackie.. 
"The  waste  and  solitary  space  that  girdles  round  our  daily  life." 

DURING  that  same  hour  Joris  was  in  the  town 
council.  There  had  been  a  stormy  and  prolonged 
session  on  the  Quartering  Act.  "  To  little  purpose 
have  we  compelled  the  revocation  of  the  Stamp 
Act,"  he  cried,  "  if  the  Quartering  Act  upon  us  is  to 
be  forced.  We  want  not  English  soldiers  here.  In 
our  homes  why  should  we  quarter  them  ?  " 

All  the  way  home  he  was  asking  himself  the  que- 
tion;  and,  when  he  found  Dominie  Van  Lindens 
talking  to  Lysbet,  he  gladly  discussed  it  over  again 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  145 

with  him.  Lysbet  sat  beside  them,  knitting  and 
listening.  Until  after  nine  o'clock,  Joris  did  not 
notice  the  absence  of  his  daughter.  "She  went  to 
Joanna's,"  said  Lysbet  calmly.  No  fear  had  yet  en- 
tered her  heart.  Perhaps  she  had  a  vague  suspicion 
that  Katherine  might  also  go  to  Mrs.  Gordon's,  and 
she  was  inclined  to  avoid  any  notice  of  the  lateness 
of  the  hour.  If  it  were  even  ten  o'clock  when  she 
returned,  Lysbet  intended  to  make  no  remarks. 
But  ten  o'clock  came,  and  the  dominie  went,  and 
Joris  suddenly  became  anxious  about  Katherine. 

His  first  anger  fell  upon  Bram.  "  He  ought  to 
have  been  at  home.  Then  he  could  have  gone  for 
his  sister.  He  is  not  attentive  enough  to  Katherine ; 
and  very  fond  is  he  of  hanging  about  Miriam  Co- 
hen's doorstep." 

"What  say  you,  Joris,  about  Miriam  Cohen  ?  " 

"  I  spoke  in  my  temper." 

He  would  not  explain  his  words,  and  Lysbet  would 
not  worry  him  about  Katherine.  "  To  Joanna's  she 
went,  and  Batavius  is  in  Boston.  Very  well,  then, 
she  has  stayed  with  her  sister." 

Still,  in  her  own  heart  there  was  a  certain  uneasi- 
ness. Katherine  had  never  remained  all  night  be- 
fore without  sending  some  message,  or  on  a  previ- 
ous understanding  to  that  effect.  But  the  absence 
of  Batavius,  and  the  late  hour  at  which  she  went, 
might  account  for  the  omission,  especially  as  Lysbet 
remembered  that  Joanna's  servant  had  been  sick, 
and  might  be  unfit  to  come.  She  was  determined 
to  excuse  Katherine,  and  she  refused  to  acknowl- 
edge the  dumb  doubt  and  fear  that  crouched  at  her 
own  heart. 

In  the  morning  Joris  rose  very  early  and  went 
into  the  garden.  Generally  this  service  to  nature 
calmed  and  cheered  him ;  but  he  came  to  breakfast 
from  it,  silent  and  cross.  And  Lysbet  was  still  dis- 
inclined to  open  a  conversation  about  Katherine. 
She  had  enough  to  do  to  combat  her  own  feeling  on 
the  subject;  and  she  was  sensible  that  Joris,  in  the 
absence  of  any  definite  object  for  his  anger,  blamed 
her  for  permitting  Katherine  so  much  liberty. 


146  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

11  Where,  then,  is  Bram  ?  "  he  asked  testily.  "  When 
I  was  a  young  man,  it  was  the  garden  or  the  store 
for  me  before  this  hour.  Too  much  you  indulge  the 
children,  Lysbet." 

"  Brain  was  late  to  bed.  He  was  on  the  watch  last 
night  at  the  pole.  You  know,  councillor,  who  in 
that  kind  of  business  has  encouraged  him." 

"  Every  night  the  watch  is  not  for  him." 

"  Oh,  then,  but  the  bad  habit  is  made!  " 

"Well,  well:  tell  him  to  Joanna's  to  go  the  first 
thing,  and  to  send  home  Katherine.  I  like  her  not 
in  the  house  of  Batavius." 

"Joanna  is  her  sister,  Joris." 

"Joanna  is  nothing  at  all  in  this  world  but  the 
wife  of  Batavius.  Send  for  Katherine  home.  I  like 
her  best  to  be  with  her  mother." 

As  he  spoke,  Bram  came  to  the  table,  looking  a 
little  heavy  and  sleepy.  Joris  rose  without  more 
words,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  door  shut  sharply 
behind  him.  "  What  is  the  matter  with  my  father  ?  " 

"Cross  he  is."  By  this  time  Lysbet  was  also 
cross ;  and  she  continued,  "  No  wonder  at  it.  Kath- 
erine has  stayed  at  Joanna's  all  night,  and  late  to 
breakfast  were  you.  Yet  ever  since  you  were  a  little 
koy,  you  have  heard  your  father  say  one  thing, 
'  Late  to  breakfast,  hurried  at  dinner,  behind  at 
supper;'  and  I  also  have  noticed, .that,  when  the 
comfort  of  the  breakfast  is  spoiled,  then  all  the  day 
its  bad  influence  is  felt." 

In  the  meantime  Joris  reached  his  store  in  that 
mood  wrhich  apprehends  trouble,  and  finds  out  an- 
noyances that  under  other  circumstances  would  not 
have  any  attention.  The  store  was  in  its  normal 
condition,  but  he  was  angry  at  the  want  of  order  in 
it.  The  mail  was  no  later  than  usual,  but  he  com- 
plained of  its  delay.  He  was  threatening  a  general 
reform  in  every  thing  and  everybody,  when  a  man 
came  to  the  door,  and  looked  up  at  the  name  above 
it. 

"Joris  Van  Heemskirk  is  the  name,  sir;"  and 
Joris  went  forward,  and  asked  a  little  curtly,  "  What, 
then,  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  147 

"  I  am  Martin  Hudde  the  fisherman." 

"  Well,  then  ?  " 

"If  you  are  Joris  Yan  Heemskirk,  I  have  a  letter 
for  you.  I  got  it  from  '  The  Dauntless '  last  night, 
when  I  was  fishing  in  the  bay." 

Without  a  word  Joris  took  the  letter,  turned  into 
his  office,  and  shut  the  door;  and  Hudde  muttered 
as  he  left,  "  I  am  glad  that  I  got  a  crown  with  it, 
for  here  I  have  not  got  a  '  thank  you.'  " 

It  was  Katherine's  writing;  and  Joris  held  the 
folded  paper  in  his  hand,  and  looked  stupidly  at  it. 
The  truth  was  forcing  itself  into  his  mind,  and  the 
slow-coming  conviction  was  a  real  physical  agony 
to  him.  He  put  his  hand  on  the  desk  to  steady , 
himself;  and  Nature,  in  great  drops  of  sweat,  made- 
an  effort  to  relieve  the  oppression  and  stupor  which 
followed  the  blow.  In  a  few  minutes  be  opened  and 
laid  it  before  him.  Through  a  mist  he  made  out 
these  words, — 

My  Father  and  my  Mother,— I  have  gone  with  ray  husband.  I 
married  Richard  when  he  was  ill,  and  to-night  he  came  for  me. 
When  I  left  home,  I  knew  not  I  was  to  go.  Only  five  minutes  I 
had.  In  God's  name,  this  is  the  truth.  Always,  at  the  end  of  the 
world,  I  shall  love  you.  Forgive  ine,  forgive  me,  mijn  fader* 
mijn  moeder. 

Your  child, 

KATHERINE  HYDE. 

He  tore  the  letter  into  fragments;  but  the  next 
moment  he  picked  them  up,  folded  them  in  a  piece 
of  paper,  and  put  them  in  his  pocket.  Then  he  went 
to  Mrs.  Gordon's.  She  had  anticipated  the  visit, 
and  was,  in  a  measure,  prepared  for  it.  With  a  smile 
and  outstretched  hands,  she  rose  from  her  chocolate 
to  meet  him.  "You  see,  I  am  a  terrible  sluggard, 
councillor,"  she  laughed ;  "  but  the  colonel  left  early 
for  Boston  this  morning,  and  I  cried  myself  into 
another  sleep.  And  will  you  have  a  cup  of  choco- 
late ?  I  am  sure  you  are  too  polite  to  refuse  me." 

"  Madam,  I  came  not  on  courtesy,  but  for  my 
daughter.  Where  is  my  Katherine  ?  " 

"Truth,  sir,  I  believe  her  to  be  where  every  woman 


148  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

•wishes, — with  her  husband.  I  am  sure  I  wish  the 
•colonel  was  with  me." 

"  Her  husband !    Who,  then  ?  " 

"Indeed,  councillor,  that  is  a  question  easily  an- 
swered,— my  nephew,  Capt.  Hyde,  at  your  service. 
You  perceive,  sir,  we  are  now  connections;  and  I 
assure  you  I  have  the  highest  sense  imaginable  of 
the  honor." 

"  When  were  they  married  ?  " 

"In  faith,  I  have  forgotten  the  precise  date.  It 
was  in  last  October;  I  know  it  was,  because  I  had 
just  received  my  winter  manteau, — my  blue  velvet 
one,  with  the  fur  bands." 

"  Who  married  them  ?  " 

"Oh,  indeed!  It  was  the  governor's  chaplain, — 
the  Kev.  Mr.  Somers,  a  relative  of  my  Lord  Somers, 
•a  most  estimable  and  respectable  person,  I  assure 
you.  Col.  Gordon,  and  Capt.  Earle,  and  myself, 
were  the  witnesses.  The  governor  gave  the  license ; 
and,  in  consideration  of  Dick's  health,  the  ceremony 
was  performed  in  his  room.  All  was  perfectly  cor- 
rect and  regular,  I " 

"  It  is  not  the  truth.  Pardon,  madam :  full  of 
trouble  am  I.  And  it  was  all  irregular,  and  very 
wicked,  and  very  cruel.  If  regular  and  right  it  had 
been,  then  in  secret  it  had  not  taken  place." 

"Admit,  councillor,  that  then  it  had  not  taken 
place  at  all ;  or,  at  least,  Eichard  w'buld  have  had  to 
wait  until  Katherine  was  of  age." 

"So;  and  that  would  have  been  right.  Until 
then,  if  love  had  lasted,  I  would  have  said,  'Their 
love  is  stronger  than  my  dislike ; '  and  I  would  have 
been  content." 

"  Ah,  sir,  there  was  more  to  the  question  than 
that !  My  nephew's  chances  for  life  were  very  indif- 
ferent, and  he  desired  to  shield  Katherine's  name 
with  his  own " 

"  Christus !  What  say  you,  madam  ?  Had  Kath- 
arine no  father?  " 

"Oh,  be  not  so  warm,  councillor!  A  husband's 
name  is  a  far  bigger  shield  than  a  father's.  I  assure 
you  that  the  world  forgives  a  married  woman  what 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  149 

it  would  not  forgive  an  angel.  And  I  must  tell  you, 
also,  that  Dick's  very  life  depended  on  the  content- 
ment which  he  felt  in  his  success.  It  is  the  part  of 
humanity  to  consider  that." 

"  Twice  over  deceived  I  have  been  then " 

•  "  In  short,  sir,  there  was  no  help  for  it.  Dick  re- 
ceived a  most  unexpected  favor  of  a  year's  furlough 
two  clays  ago.  It  was  important  for  his  wounded 
lung  that  he  should  go  at  once  to  a  warm  climate. 
'  The  Dauntless '  was  on  the  point  of  sailing  for  the 
West  Indies.  To  have  bestowed  our  confidence  on 
you,  would  have  delayed  or  detained  our  patient,  or 
sent  him  away  without  his  wife.  It  was  my  fault 
that  Katherine  had  only  five  minutes  given  her.  Oh, 
sir,  I  know  my  own  sex!  And,  if  you  will  take 
time  to  reflect,  I  am  sure  that  you  will  be  reason- 
able." 

"Without  his  wife!  His  wife!  Without  my  con- 
sent ?  No,  she  is  not  his  wife." 

"Sir,  you  must  excuse  me  if  I  do  not  honor  your 
intelligence  or  your  courtesy.  I  have  said  '  she  is 
his  loife.'  It  is  past  a  doubt  that  they  are  mar- 
ried." 

"  I  know  not,  I  know  not —  O  my  Katherine,  my 
Katherine!  " 

"  I  pray  you,  sit  down,  councillor.  You  look  faint 
and  ill ;  and  in  faith  I  am  very  sorry,  that,  to  make 
two  people  happy,  others  must  be  made  so  wretched." 
She  rose  and  filled  a  glass  with  wine,  and  offered  it 
to  Joris,  who  was  the  very  image  of  mental  suffer- 
ing,—all  the  fine  color  gone  out  of  his  face,  and  his 
large  blue  eyes  swimming  in  unshed  tears. 

"  Drink,  sir.  Upon  my  word,  you  are  vastly  foolish 
to  grieve  so.  I  protest  to  you  that  Katherine  is 
happy ;  and  grieving  will  not  restore  your  loss." 

"  For  that  reason  I  grieve,  madam.  Nothing  can 
give  me  back  my  child." 

"Come,  sir,  every  one  has  his  calamity;  and, 
upon  my  word,  you  are  very  fortunate  to  have  one 
no  greater  than  the  marriage  of  your  daughter  to 
an  agreeable  man,  of  honorable  profession  and 
noble  family." 


150  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  Five  minutes  only.  How  could  the  child  think  ? 
To  take  her  away  thus,  was  cruel.  Many  things  a 
woman  needs  when  she  journeys." 

"Oh,  indeed,  Katherine  was  well  considered!  I 
myself  packed  a  trunk  for  her  with  every  conceiva- 
ble necessity,  as  well  as  gowns  and  manteaus  of  the 
finest  material  and  the  most  elegant  fashion.  If 
Dick  had  been  permitted,  he  would  have  robbed  the 
Province  for  her.  I  assure  you  that  I  had  to  lock 
my  trunks  to  preserve  a  change  of  gowns  for  my- 
self. When  the  colonel  returns,  he  will  satisfy  you 
that  Katherine  has  done  tolerably  wel]  in  her  mar- 
riage with  our  nephew.  And,  indeed,  I  must  beg 
you  to  excuse  me  further.  I  have  been  in  a  hurry 
of  affairs  and  emotions  for  two  days;  and  I  am 
troubled  with  the  vapors  this  morning,  and  feel  my- 
self very  indifferently." 

Then  Joris  understood  that  he  had  been  politely 
dismissed.  But  there  was  no  unkindness  in  the  act. 
He  glanced  at  the  effusive  little  lady,  and  saw  that 
she  was  on  the  point  of  crying,  and  very  likely  in  the 
first  pangs  of  a  nervous  headache ;  and,  without  fur- 
ther words,  he  left  her. 

The  interview  had  given  Joris  very  little  comfort. 
At  first,  his  great  terror  had  been  that  Katherine  had 
fled  without  any  religious  sanction ;  but  no  sooner 
was  this  fear  dissipated,  than  he  became  conscious, 
in  all  its  force,  of  his  own  personal-loss  and  sense  of 
grievance.  From  Mrs.  Gordon's  lodgings  he  went 
to  those  of  Dominie  Yan  Linden.  He  felt  sure  of 
his  personal  sympathy;  and  he  knew  that  the  dom- 
inie would  be  the  best  person -to  investigate  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  marriage,  and  authenticate  their 
propriety. 

Then  Joris  went  home.  On  his  road  he  met  Bram, 
full  of  the  first  terror  of  his  sister's  disappearance. 
He  told  him  all  that  was  necessary,  and  sent  him 
back  to  the  store.  "  And  see  you  keep  a  modest 
face,  and  make  no  great  matter  of  it,"  he  said.  "  Be 
not  troubled  nor  elated.  It  belongs  to  you  to  be 
very  prudent ;  for  your  sister's  goodxiame  is  in  your 
care,  and  this  is  a  sorrow  outsiders  may  not  ffieddle 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  151 

with.  Also,  at  once  go  back  to  Joanna's,  and  tell 
her  the  same  thing.  I  will  not  have  Katherine  made 
a  wonder  to  gaping  women." 

Lysbet  was  still  a  little  on  the  defensive ;  but,  when 
she  saw  Joris  coming  home,  her  heart  turned  sick 
with  fear.  She  was  beating  eggs  for  her  cake-mak- 
ing, and  she  went  on  with  the  occupation ;  merely 
looking  up  to  say,  "Thee,  Joris;  dinner  will  not  be 
ready  for  two  hours !  Art  thou  sick  ?  " 

"  Katherine— she  has  gone!  " 

"  Gone?    And  where,  then  ?  " 

"  With  that  Englishman ;  in  *  The  Dauntless  '  they 
have  gone." 

"  Believe  it  not.  '  The  Dauntless '  left  yesterday 
morning :  Katherine  at  seven  o'clock  last  night  was 
with  me." 

"Ah,  he  must  have  returned  for  her!  Well  he 
knew  that  if  he  did  not  steal  her  away,  I  had  taken 
her  from  him.  Yes,  and  I  feared  him.  When  I  heard 
that  '  The  Dauntless '  was  to  take  him  to  the  West 
Indies,  I  watched  the  ship.  After  I  kissed  Kath- 
erine yesterday  morning,  I  went  straight  to  the  pier, 
and  waited  until  she  was  on  her  way."  Then  he  told 
her  all  Mrs.  Gordon  had  said,  and  showed  her  the 
fragments  of  Katherine's  letter.  The  mother  kissed 
them,  and  put  them  in  her  bosom ;  and,  as  she  did 
so,  she  said  softly,  "  It  was  a  great  strait,  Joris." 

"Well,  well,  we  also  must  pass  through  it.  The 
Dominie  Yan  Linden  has  gone  to  examine  the  rec- 
ords; and  then,  if  she  his  lawful  wife  be,  in  the 
newspapers  I  must  advertise  the  marriage.  Much 
talk  and  many  questions  I  shall  have  to  bear." 

"  '  If,'  '  if  she  his  lawful  wife  be ! '  Say  not  '  if '  in 
my  hearing;  say  not  'if  '  of  my  Katherine." 

"  When  a  girl  runs  away  from  her  home —  " 

"  With  her  husband  she  went;  keep  that  in  mind 
when  people  speak  to  thee." 

"  What  kind  of  a  husband  will  he  be  to  her?  " 

"  Well,  then,  I  think  not  bad  of  him.    Nearer  home 
there  are  worse  men.    Now,  if  sensible  thou  be,  thou 
wilt  make  the  best  of  what  is  beyond  thy  power.  ' 
Every  bird  its  own  nest  builds  in  its  own  way.    Nay, 


152  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

but  blind  birds  are  we  all,  and  God  builds  for  us. 
This  marriage  of  God's  ordering  may  be,  though 
not  of  thy  ordering;  and  against  it  I  would  no 
longer  fight.  I  think  my  Katherine  is  happy ;  and 
happy  with  her  I  will  be,  though  the  child  in  her  joy 
I  see  not." 

"  So  much  talk  as  there  will  be.  In  the  store  and 
the  streets,  a  man  must  listen.  And  some  with  me 
will  condole,  and  some  with  congratulations  will 
come ;  and  both  to  me  will  be  vinegar  and  gall." 

"To  all — friends  and  unfriends — say  this :  '  Every 
one  chooses  for  themselves.  Capt.  Hyde  loved  my 
daughter,  and  for  her  love  nearly  he  died ;  and  my 
daughter  loved  him ;  and  what  has  been  from  the  crea- 
tion, will  be.'  Say  also,  *  Worse  might  have  come ; 
for  he  hath  a  good  heart,  and  in  the  army  he  is  much 
loved,  and  of  a  very  high  family  is  he.'  Joris,  let 
me  see  thee  pluck  up  thy  courage,  like  a  man.  Bet- 
ter may  come  of  this  than  has  come  of  things  better 
looking.  Much  we  thought  of  Batavius  —  " 

"  On  that  subject  wilt  thou  be  quiet  ?  " 

"And,  if  at  poor  little  Katherine  thou  be  angry, 
speak  out  thy  mind  to  me;  to  others,  say  nothing 
but  well  of  the  dear  one.  Now,  then,  I  will  get  thee 
thy  dinner;  for  in  sorrow  a  good  meal  is  a  good 
medicine." 

While  they  were  eating  this  early  dinner,  Joanna 
came  in,  sad  and  tearful;  and  with  loud  lamentings 
she  threw  herself  upon  her  mother's  neck.  "  What, 
then,  is  the  matter  with  thee  ?  "  asked  Lysbet,  with 
great  composure. 

"  O  mother,  my  Katherine!  my  sister  Katherine!  " 

"  I  thought  perhaps  thou  had  bad  news  of  Bata- 
vius. Thy  sister  Katherine  hath  married  a  very  fine 
gentleman,  and  she  is  happy.  For  thou  must  re- 
member that  all  the  good  men  do  not  come  from 
Dordrecht." 

"  I  am  glad  that  so  you  take  it.  I  thought  in  very 
great  sorrow  you  would  be." 

"See  that  you  do  not  say  such  words  to  any  one, 
•  Joanna.  Very  angry  will  I  be  if  I  hear  them.  Bata- 
vius, also;  he  must  be  quiet  on  this  matter." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  153 

"  Oh,  then,  Batavius  has  many  things  of  greater 
moment  to  think  about !  Of  Katherine  he  never  ap- 
proved ;  and  the  talk  there  will  be,  he  will  not  like 
it.  Before  from  Boston  he  comes  back,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  have  it  over." 

"  None  of  his  affair  it  is,"  said  Joris.  "  Of  my 
own  house  and  my  own  daughter,  I  can  take  the 
care.  And  if  he  like  the  talk,  or  if  he  like  not  the 
talk,  there  it  will  be.  Who  will  stop  talking  because 
Batavius  comes  home  ?  " 

"When  Joris  spoke  in  this  tone  on  any  subject,  no 
one  wished  to  continue  it;  and  it  was  not  until  her 
father  had  left  the  house,  that  Joanna  asked  her 
mother  particularly  about  Katherine's  marriage. 
"  Was  she  sure  of  it  ?  Had  they  proofs  ?  Would  it 
be  legal  ?  More  than  a  dozen  people  stopped  me  as 
I  came  over  here,"  she  said,  "  and  asked  me  about 
everything." 

"  I  know  not  how  more  than  a  dozen  people  knew 
of  any  thing,  Joanna.  But  many  ill-natured  words 
will  be  spoken,  doubtless.  Even  Janet  Semple  came 
here  yesterday,  thinking  over  Katherine  to  exult  a 
little.  But  Katherine  is  a  great  deal  beyond  her  to- 
day. And  perhaps  a  countess  she  may  yet  be.  That 
is  what  her  husband  said  to  thy  father." 

"  I  knew  not  that  he  spoke  to  my  father  about 
Katherine." 

"Thou  knows  not  all  things.  Before  thou  wert 
married  to  Batavius,  before  Neil  Semple  nearly  mur- 
dered him,  he  asked  of  thy  father  her  hand.  Thou 
wast  born  on  thy  wedding-day,  I  think.  All  things 
that  happened  'before  it  have  from  thy  memory 
passed  away." 

"  Well,  I  am  a  good  wife,  I  know  that.  That  also 
is  what  Batavius  says.  Just  before  I  got  to  the 
gate,  I  met  Madam  Semple  and  Gertrude  Van  Gaas- 
beeck;  they  had  been  shopping  together." 

"  Did  they  speak  of  Katherine  ?  " 

"  Indeed  they  did." 

"  Or  did  you  speak  first,  Joanna  ?  It  is  an  evil 
bird  that  pulls  to  pieces  its  own  nest." 

"  O  mother,  scolded  I  cannot  be  for  Katherine's 


154  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

folly!  My  Batavius  always  said,  'The  favorite  is 
Katherine.'  Always  he  thought  that  of  me  too 
much  was  expected.  And  Madam  Semple  said — and 
always  she  liked  Katherine — that  very  badly  had 
she  behaved  for  a  whole  year,  and  that  the  end  was 
what  everybody  had  looked  for.  It  is  on  me  very 
hard,— I  who  have  always  been  modest,  and  taken 
care  of  my  good  name.  Nobody  in  the  whole  city 
will  have  one  kind  word  to  say  for  Katherine.  You 
will  see  that  is  so,  mother." 

"  You  will  see  something  very  different,  Joanna. 
Many  will  praise  Katherine,  for  she  to  herself  has 
done  well.  And,  when  back  she  comes,  at  the  gov- 
ernor's she  will  visit,  and  with  all  the  great  ladies; 
and  not  one  among  them  will  be  so  lovely  as  Kath- 
erine Hyde." 

And,  if  Joanna  had  been  in  Madam  Semple's  par- 
lor a  few  hours  later,  she  would  have  had  a  most  de- 
cided illustration  of  Lysbet's  faith  in  the  popular 
verdict.  Madam  was  sitting  at  her  tea-table  talk- 
ing to  the  elder,  who  had  brought  home  writh  him 
the  full  supplement  to  Joanna's  story.  Both  were 
really  sorry  for  their  old  friends,  although  there  is 
something  in  the  best  kind  of  human  nature  that 
indorses  the  punishment  of  those  things  in  which 
old  friends  differ  from  us. 

Neil  had  heard  nothing.  He  had  been  shut  up  in 
his  office  all  day  over  an  important,  suit ;  and,  when 
he  took  the  street  again,  he  was  weary,  and  far  from 
being  inclined  to  join  any  acquaintances  in  conver- 
sation. In  fact,  the  absorbing  topic  was  one  which 
no  one  cared  to  introduce  in  Neil's  presence;  and 
he  himself  was  too  full  of  professional  matters  to 
notice  that  he  attracted  more  than  usual  attention 
from  the  young  men  standing  around  the  store- 
doors,  and  the  officers  lounging  in  front  of  the 
King's  Arms  Tavern. 

He  was  irritable,  too,  with  exhaustion,  though  he 
was  doing  his  best  to  keep  himself  in  control;  and 
when  madam  his  mother  said  pointedly,  "  I'm  fear- 
ing, Neil,  that  the  bad  news  has  made  you  ill ;  you 
arena  at  a'  like  yoursel',"  he  asked  without  much 
interest,  "  What  bad  news  ?  " 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  155 

"  The  news  anent  Katherine  Van  Heemskirk." 

He  had  supposed  it  was  some  political  disappoint- 
ment, and  at  Katherine's  name  his  pale  face  grew 
suddenly  crimson. 

"  What  of  her  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Didna  you  hear?  She  ran  awa'  last  night  wi' 
Capt.  Hyde ;  stole  awa'  wi'  him  on  '  The  Daunt- 
less.' " 

"  She  would  have  the  right  to  go  with  him,  I  have 
no  doubt,"  said  Neil  with  guarded  calmness. 

"  Do  you  really  think  she  was  his  wife  ?  " 

"  If  she  went  with  him,  /  am  sure  she  was."  He 
dropped  the  words  with  an  emphatic  precision,  and 
looked  with  gloomy  eyes  out  of  the  window ;  gloomy, 
but  steadfast,  as  if  He  were  trying  to  face  a  future 
in  which  there  was  no  hope.  His  mother  did  not 
observe  him.  She  went  on  prattling  as  she  filled 
the  elder's  cup,  "If  there  had  been  any  wedding 
worth  the  name  o'  the  thing,  we  would  hae  been 
bidden  to  it.  I  diuna  believe  she  is  married." 

"  Are  you  sure  that  she  sailed  writh  Capt.  Hyde  in 
'  The  Dauntless,'  or  is  it  a  pack  of  women's  tales  ?  " 

"The  news  cam'  wi'  your  fayther  the  elder,"  an- 
swered madam,  much  offended.  "You  can  mak' 
your  inquiries  there  if  you  think  he's  mair  reliable 
than  I  am." 

Neil  looked  at  his  father,  and  the  elder  said 
quietly,  "I  wouldna  be  positive  aneut  any  woman  : 
the  bad  are  whiles  good,  and  the  good  are  whiles 
bad.  But  there  is  nae  doubt  that  Katherine  has 
gone  with  Hyde ;  and  I  heard  that  the  military  at 
the  King's  Arms  have  been  drinking  bumpers  to 
Capt.  Hyde  arid  his  bricfe ;  and  I  know  that  Mrs. 
Gordon  has  said  they  were  married  lang  syne,  when 
Hyde  couldna  raise  himseP  or  put  a  foot  to  the 
ground.  But  Joanna  told  her  mother  she  had 
neither  seen  nor  heard  tell  o'  book,  ring,  or  minister; 
and,  as  I  say,  for  mysel'  I'll  no  venture  a  positive 
opinion,  but  I  think  the  lassie  is  married  to  the  man 
she's  off  an'  awa'  wi'.'1 

"  But  if  she  isna  ?  "  persisted  madam. 

In  a  moment  Neil  let  slip  the  rein  in  which  he  had 


156  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

been  holding  himself,  and  in  a  slow,  intense  voice 
answered,  "  I  shall  make  it  my  business  to  find  out. 
If  Katherine  is  married,  God  bless  her!  If  she  is 
not,  I  will  follow  Hyde  around  and  around  the  world 
until  I  cleave  his  false  heart  in  two."  His  passion 
gathered  with  its  utterance.  He  pushed  away  his 
chair,  and  put  down  his  cup  so  indifferently  that  it 
missed  the  table  and  fell  with  a  crash  to  the  floor. 

"Oh,  my  cheeny,  my  cheeny!  Oh,  my  bonnie 
cups  that  I  hae  used  for  forty  years,  and  no'  a  piece 
broken  afore!  " 

"Ah,  weel,  Janet,"  said  the  elder,  "you  shouldoa 
badger  an  angry  man  when  he's  drinking  from  your 
best  cups." 

"I  canna  mend  nor  match  it  in  the  whole  Prov- 
ince, elder.  Oh,  my  bonnie  cup!  " 

"I  was  thinking,  Janet,  o'  Katherine's  good 
name.  If  it  is  gane,  it  is  neither  to  mend  nor  to 
match  in  the  whole  wide  world.  I'll  awa'  and  see 
Joris  and  Lysbet.  And  put  every  cross  thought 
where  you'll  never  find  them  again,  Janet;  and  tak' 
your  good-will  in  your  hands,  and  come  wi'  me. 
Lysbet  will  want  to  see  you." 

"  Not  her,  indeed !  I  can  tell  you,  elder,  that  Lys- 
bet was  vera  cool  and  queer  wi'  me  yesterday." 

"Come,  Janet,  dinna  keep  your  good-nature  in 
remnants.  Let's  hae  enough  to  make  a  cloak  big 
enough  to  cover  a'  bygone  faults." 

"I  think,  then,  I  ought  to  stay'wi'  Neil." 

"  Neil  doesna  want  anybody  near  him.  Leave  him 
alane.  Neil's  a'  right.  Forty  years  syne  I  would 
hae  broke  my  mother's  cheeny,  and  drawn  steel  as 
quick  as  Neil  did,  if  I  heard  a  word  against  bonnie 
Janet  Gordon."  An4  the  old  man  made  his  wife  a 
bow;  and  madam  blushed  with  pleasure,  and  v/ent 
up-stairs  to  put  on  her  bonnet  and  India  shawl. 

"Woman,  woman,"  meditated  the  smiling  elder; 
"  she  is  never  too  angry  to  be  won  wi'  a  mouthful  o* 
sweet  words,  special  if  you  add  a  bow  or  a  kiss  to 
them.  My  certie !  when  a  husband  can  get  his  ain 
way  at  sic  a  sma'  price,  it's  just  wonderfu'  ho 
doesna  buy  it  in  perpetuity." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  157 

Joris  was  somewhat  comforted  by  his  old  friend's 
sympathy ;  for  the  elder,  in  the  hour  of  trial,  knew 
how  to  be  magnanimous.  But  the  father's  wound 
lay  deeper  than  human  love  could  reach.  He  was 
suffering  from  what  all  suffer  who  are  wounded  in 
their  affections;  for  alas,  alas,  how  poorly  do  we 
love  even  those  whom  we  love  most!  We  are  not 
only  bruised  by  the  limitations  of  their  love  for  us, 
but  also  by  the  limitations  of  pur  own  love  for  them. 
And  those  who  know  what  it  is  to  be  strong  enough 
to  wrestle,  and  yet  not  strong  enough  to  overcome, 
will  understand  how  the  grief,  the  anger,  the  jeal- 
ousy, the  resentment,  from  which  he  suffered,, 
amazed  Joris ;  he  had  not  realized  before  the  depth? 
and  strength  of  his  feelings. 

He  tried  to  put  the  memory  of  Katherine  away,  but 
he  could  not  accomplish  a  miracle.  The  girl's  face 
was  ever  before  him.  He  felt  her  caressing  fingers- 
linked  in  his  own ;  and,  as  he  walked  in  his  house 
and  his  garden,  her  small  feet  pattered  beside  him. 
For  as  there  are  in  creation  invisible  bonds  that  da 
not  break  like  mortal  bonds,  so  also  there  are  cor- 
respondences subsisting  between  souls,  despite  the 
separation  of  distance. 

"  I  would  forget  Katherine  if  I  could,"  he  said  to- 
Dominie  Van  Linden;  and  the  good  man,  bravely 
putting  aside  his  private  grief,  took  the  hands  of 
Joris  in  his  own,  and  bending  toward  him,  answered, 
"  That  would  be  a  great  pity.  Why  forget  ?  Trust 
rather,  that  out  of  sorrow  God  will  bring  to  you  joy." 

"  Not  natural  is  that,  dominie.  How  can  it  be  ? 
I  do  not  understand  how  it  can  be." 

"You  do  not  understand!  Well,  then,  och  mijn 
jongen,  what  matters  comprehension,  if  you  have 
faith  ?  Trust,  now,  that  it  is  well  with  the  child." 

But  Joris  believed  it  was  ill  with  her;  and  he 
blamed  not  only  himself,  but  every  one  in  connec- 
tion with  Katherine,  for  results  which  he  was  cer- 
tain might  have  been  foreseen  and  prevented.  Did 
he  not  foresee  them  ?  Had  he  not  spoken  plainly 
enough  to  Hyde  and  to  Lysbet  and  to  the  child  her- 
self ?  He  should  have  sent  her  to  Albany,  to  her 


158  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

sister  Cornelia.  For  he  believed  now  that  Lysbet 
had  not  cordially  disapproved  of  Hyde ;  and  as  for 
Joanna,  she  had  been  far  too  much  occupied  with 
Batavius  and  her  own  marriage  to  care  for  any  other 
thing.  And  one  of  his  great  fears  was  that  Kather- 
ine  also  would  forget  her  father  and  mother  and 
home,  and  become  a  willing  alien  from  her  own 
people. 

He  was  so  wrapped  up  in  his  grief,  that  he  did  not 
notice  Bram  was  suffering  also.  Bram  got  the 
brunt  of  the  world's  wouderings  and  inquiries. 
People  who  did  not  like  to  ask  Joris  questions,  felt 
no  such  delicacy  with  Bram.  And  Bram  not  only 
tenderly  loved  his  sister:  he  hated  with  the  unrea- 
soning passion  of  youth  the  entire  English  soldiery. 
He  made  no  exception  now.  They  were  the  visible 
marks  of  a  subjection  which  he  was  sworn,  heart  and 
soul,  to  oppose.  It  humiliated  him  among  his 
fellows,  that  his  sister  should  have  fled  with  one  of 
them.  It  gave  those  who  envied  and  disliked  him 
an  opportunity  of  inflicting  covert  and  cruel  wounds. 
Joris  could,  in  some  degree,  control  himself;  he 
could  speak  of  the  marriage  with  regret,  but  without 
passion;  he  had  even  alluded,  in  some  cases,  to 
Hyde's  family  and  expectations.  The  majority  be- 
lieved that  he  was  secretly  a  little  proud  of  the  alli- 
ance. But  Bram  was  aflame  with  indignation  ;  first, 
if  the  marriage  were  at  all  dourtoted ;  second,  if  it 
were  supposed  to  be  a  satisfactory  one  to  any  mem- 
ber of  the  Van  Heemskirk  family. 

As  to  the  doubters,  they  were 'completely  silenced 
when  the  next  issue  of  the  "New-York  Gazette" 
appeared;  for  among  its  most  conspicuous  adver- 
tisements was  the  following: 

Married,  Oct.  19,  1765.  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Somers.  chaplain  to  his 
Excellency  the  Governor.  Richard  Drake  Hyde  of  Hyde  Manor, 
Norfolk,  son  of  the  late  Richard  Drake  Hyde,  and  brother  of 
William  Drake 'Hyde,  Earle  of  Dorset  and  Hyde,  to  Katherine.  the 
youngest  daughter  of  Joris  and  Lysbet  Van  Heemskirk,  of  the 
<5ity  and  province  of  New  York. 

Witnesses  :  NIGEL  GORDON.  H.  M.  Nineteenth  Light  Cavalry. 
GEORGE  EAKKE,  H.  M.  Nineteenth  Light  Cavalry. 
ADELAIDE  GORDON,  wife  of  Nigel  Gordon. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  159 

This  announcement  took  every  one  a  little  by  sur- 
prise. A  few  were  really  gratified;  the  majority 
perceived  that  it  silenced  gossip  of  a  very  enthrall- 
ing kind.  No  one  could  now  deplore  or  insinuate, 
or  express  sorrow  or  astonishment.  And,  as  rejoic- 
ing with  one's  friends  and  neighbors  soon  becomes 
a  very  monotonous  thing,  Katherine  Van  Heems- 
kirk's  fine  marriage  was  tacitly  dropped.  Only  for 
that  one  day  on  which  it  was  publicly  declared,  was 
it  an  absorbing  topic.  The  whole  issue  of  the  "  Ga- 
zette "  was  quickly  bought ;  and  then  people,  having 
seen  the  fact  with  their  own  eyes,  felt  a  sudden 
satiety  of  the  whole  affair. 

On  some  few  it  had  a  more  particular  influence,. 
Hyde's  brother  officers  held  high  festival  to  their 
comrade's  success.  To  every  bumper  they  read  the 
notice  aloud,  as  a  toast,  and  gave  a  kind  of  national 
triumph  to  what  was  a  purely  personal  affair.  Joris 
read  it  with  dim  eyes,  and  then  lit  his  long  Gouda  . 
pipe  and  sat  smoking  with  an  air  of  inexpressible 
loneliness.  Lysbet  read  it,  and  then  put  the  paper 
carefully  away  among  the  silks  and  satins  in  her 
bottom  drawer.  Joanna  read  it,  and  then  immedi- 
diately  bought  a  dozen  copies  and  sent  them  to  the 
relatives  of  Batavius,  in  Dordrecht,  Holland.  Neil 
Semple  read  and  re-read  it.  It  seemed  to  have  a, 
fascination  for  him;  and  for  more  than  an  hour  he- 
sat  musing,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  fateful 
words.  Then  he  rose  and  wer^t  to  the  hearth.  There 
were  a  few  sticks  of  wood  burning  upon  it,  but  they 
had  fallen  apart.  He  put  them  together,  and,  tear- 
ing out  the  notice,  he  laid  it  upon  them.  It  meant 
much  more  to  Neil  than  the  destruction  of  a  scrap 
of  paper,  and  he  stood  watching  it,  long  after  it  had 
become  a  film  of  grayish  ash. 

Bram  would  not  read  it  at  all.  He  was  too  full  of 
shame  and  trouble  at  the  event;  and  the  moments 
went  as  if  they  moved  on  lead.  But  the  unhappy 
day  wore  away  to  its  evening;  and  after  tea  he- 
gathered  a  great  nosegay  of  narcissus,  and  went  to 
Isaac  Cohen's.  He  did  not  "  hang  about  the  steps,'* 
as  Joris  in  his  temper  had  said.  Miriam  was  not  one 


160  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

of  those  girls  who  sit  in  the  door  to  be  gazed  at  by 
every  passing  man.  He  went  into  the  store,  and 
she  seemed  to  know  his  footstep.  He  had  no  need 
to  speak :  she  came  at  once  from  the  mystery  behind 
the  crowded  place  into  the  clearer  light.  -Plain  and 
dark  were  her  garments,  and  Bram  would  have  been 
unable  to  describe  her  dress ;  but  it  was  as  fitting  to 
her  as  are  the  green  leaves  of  the  rose-tree  to  the 
rose. 

Their  acquaintance  had  evidently  advanced  since 
that  anxious  evening  when  she  had  urged  upon 
Bram  the  intelligence  of  the  duel  between  Hyde  and 
Neil  Semple ;  for  Bram  gave  her  the  flowers  without 
.embarrassment,  and  she  buried  her  sweet  face  in 
their  sweet  petals,  and  then  lifted  it  with  a  smile  at 
once  grateful  and  confidential.  Then  they  began  to 
talk  of  Katherine.  "  She  was  so  beautiful  and  so 
kind,"  said  Miriam:  "just  a  week  since  she  passed 
here,  with  some  violets  in  her  hand ;  and,  when  she 
saw  me,  she  ran  up  the  steps,  and  said,  'I  have 
brought  them  for  you ; '  and  she  clasped  my  fingers, 
-and  looked  so  pleasantly  in  my  face.  If  I  had  a 
•sister,  Bram,  I  think  she  would  smile  at  me  in  the 
-.same  way." 

"  Very  grateful  to  you  was  Katherine.  All  you 
did  about  the  duel,  I  told  her.  She  knows  her  hus- 
band had  not  been  alive  to-day,  but  for  you.  O 
Miriam,  if  you  had  not  spoken ! >r 

"  I  should  have  had.the  stain  of  blood  on  my  con- 
science. I  did  right  to  speak.  My  grandfather 
said  to  me,  'You  did  quite  right,  my  dear.'  " 

Then  Bram  told  her  all  the  little  things  that  had 
grieved  him,  and  they  talked  as  dear  companions 
might  talk;  only,  beneath  all  the  common  words  of 
•daily  life,  there  was  some  subtle  sweetness  that 
made  their  voices  low,  and  their  glances  shy  and 
tremulous. 

It  was  not  more  than  an  hour  ere  Cohen  came 
home.  He  looked  quickly  at  the  young  people,  and 
then  stood  by  Bram,  and  began  to  talk  courteously 
of  passing  events.  Miriam  leaned,  listening,  against 
a  magnificent  "  apostle's  cabinet  "  in  black  oak, — 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  161 

one  of  those  famous  ones  made  in  Nuremburg  in 
the  fifteenth  century,  with  locks  and  hinges  of  ham- 
mered-steel  work,  and  finely  chased  handles  of  the 
,same  material.  Against  its  carved  and  pillared 
background,  her  dark  drapery  fell  in  almost  unno- 
ticed grace ;  but  her  fair  face  and  small  hands,  with 
the  mass- of  white  narcissus  in  them,  had  a  singular 
and  alluring  beauty.  She  affected  Bram  as  some- 
thing sweetly  supernatural  might  have  done.  It 
was  an  effort  for  him  to  answer  Cohen  :  he  felt  as  if 
it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  go  away. 

But  the  clock  struck  the  hour,  and  the  shop-boy 
began  to  put  up  the  shutters;  and  the  old  man 
walked  to  the  door,  taking  Bram  with  him.  Then 
Miriam,  smiling  her  farewell,  passed  like  a  shadow 
into  the  darker  shadows  beyond ;  and  Bram  went 
home,  wondering  to  find  that  she  had  cast  out  of  his 
heart,  hatred,  malice,  fretful  worry,  and  all  unchar- 
itableness.  How  could  he  blend  them  with  thoughts 
of  her  ?  and  how  could  he  forget  the  slim,  dark- 
robed  figure,  or  the  lovely  face  against  the  old  black 
has,  crowned  with  its  twelve  sombre  figures,  or  the 
white  slender  hands  holding  the  white  fragrant 
flowers  ? 


CHAPTEE  XI. 

AT  HYDE  MANOR,   AND   BEAM  AND  MIRIAM. 

*'  Each  man's  homestead  is  his  golden  milestone, 
Is  the  central  point  from  which  he  measures 

Every  distance 
Through  the  gateways  of  the  world  around  him." 

"And  if  we  will  one  Guide  obey, 
The  dreariest  path,  the  darkest  way, 
Shall  issue  out  in  heavenly  day." 

THERE  are  certain  months  in  every  life  which  seem 
to  be  full  of  fate,  good  or  evil,  for  that  life ;  and 
May  was  Katherine  Hyde's  luck  month.  It  was  on 
a  May  afternoon  that  Hyde  had  asked  her  love ;  it 


162  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

was  on  a  May  night  she  fled  with  him  through  the 
gray  shadows  of  the  misty  river.  Since  then  a  year 
had  gone  by,  and  it  was  May  once  more, — an  English 
May,  full  of  the  magic  of  the  month ;  clear  skies 
and  young  foliage,  and  birds'  songs,  the  cool,  woody 
smell  of  wall-flowers,  and  the  ethereal  perfume  of 
lilies. 

In  Hyde  Manor  House,  there  was  that  stir  of  prep- 
aration which  indicates  a  departure.  The  house  was 
before  time;  it  had  the  air  of  early  rising;  the  at- 
mosphere of  yesterday  had  not  been  dismissed,  but 
lingered  around,  and  gave  the  idea  of  haste  and 
change,  and  departure  from  regular  custom.  It  was, 
indeed,  an  hour  before  the  usual  breakfast-time ;  but 
Hyde  and  Katherine  were  taking  a  hasty  meal  to- 
gether. Hyde  was  in  full  uniform,  his  sword  at  his 
side,  his  cavalry  cap  and  cloak  on  a  chair  near  him ; 
and  up  and  down  the  gravelled  walk  before  the  main 
entrance,  a  groom  was  leading  his  horse. 

"I  must  see  what  is  the  matter  with  Mephisto," 
said  Hyde.  "How  he  is  snorting  and  pawing!  And 
if  Park  loses  control  of  him,  I  shall  be  greatly  in- 
convenienced for  both  horse  and  time." 

The  remark  was  partially  the  excuse  of  a  man  who 
feels  that  he  must  go,  and  who  tries  to  say  the  hard 
words  in  less  ominous  form.  They  both  rose  to- 
gether,— Katherine  bravely  smiling  away  tears,  and 
looking  exceedingly  lovely  in  hsr-.  blue  morning- 
gown  trimmed  with  frillings  of  thread  lace;  and 
Hyde,  gallant  and  tender,  but  still  with  the  air  of  a 
man  not  averse  to  go  back  to  life's  real  duty.  He 
took  Katherine  in  his  arms,  kissed  away  her  tears, 
made  her  many  a  loving  promise,  and  then,  lifting 
his  cap  and  cloak,  left  the  room.  The  servants  were 
lingering  around  to  get  his  last  word,  and  to  wish 
him  "  God-speed;  "  and  for  a  few  minutes  he  stood 
talking  to  his  groom,  and  soothing  Mephisto.  Evi- 
dently he  had  quite  recovered  his  health  and 
strength  ;  for  he  sprang  very  easily  into  the  saddle, 
and,  gathering  the  reins  in  his  hand,  kept  the  restive 
animal  in  perfect  control. 

A  moment  he  stood  thus,  the  very  ideal  of  a  fear- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  163 

less,  chivalrous,  handsome  soldier;  the  next,  his 
face  softened  to  almost  womanly  tenderness  :  for  he 
saw  Katherine  coming  hastily  through  the  dim  hall, 
and  into  the  clear  sunshine,  and  in  her  arms  was  his 
little  son.  She  came  fearlessly  to  his  side,  and  lifted 
the  sleeping  child  to  him.  He  stooped  and  kissed  it, 
and  then  kissed  again  the  beautiful  mother;  and 
calling  happily  backward,  "Good-by,  my  love;  God 
keep  you,  love ;  good-by,"  he  gave  Mephisto  his  own 
wild  will,  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight  among  the  trees 
of  the  park. 

Katherine  stood  with  her  child  in  her  arms,  listen- 
ing to  the  ever  fainter  beat  of  Mephisto's  hoofs. 
Her  husband  had  gone  back  to  duty,  his  furlough  had 
expired,  their  long,  leisurely  honeymoon  was  over. 
But  she  was  neither  fearful  nor  unhappy.  Hyde's 
friends  had  procured  his  exchange  into  a  court  regi- 
ment. He  was  only  going  to  London,  and  he  was 
still  her  lover.  She  looked  forward  with  clear  eyes 
as  she  said  gratefully  to  herself,  "So  happy  am  I! 
So  good  is  my  husband !  So  dear  is  my  child !  So 
fair  and  sweet  is  my  home !  " 

And  though  to  many  minds  Hyde  Manor  might 
seem  neither  fair  or  sweet,  Katherine  really  liked  it. 
Perhaps  she  had  some  inherited  taste  for  low  lands, 
with  their  shimmer  of  water  and  patches  of  green ; 
or  perhaps  the  "gentle  beauty  of  the  landscape  spe- 
cially fitted  her  temperament.  But,  at  any  rate,  the 
wide  brown  stretches,  dotted  with  lonely  windmills 
and  low  farmhouses,  pleased  her.  So  also  did  the 
marshes,  fringed  with  yellow  and  purple  flags;  and 
the  great  ditches,  white  with  water-lilies ;  and  the 
high  belts  of  natural  turf;  and  the  summer  sun- 
shine, which  over  this  level  land  had  a  white  brill- 
iancy to  which  other  sunshine  seemed  shadow. 
Hyde  had  never  before  found  the  country  endurable, 
except  during  the  season  when  the  marshes  were  full 
of  birds;  or,  when,  at  the  Christmas  holidays,  the 
ice  was  firm  as  marble,  and  smooth  as  glass,  and  the 
wind  blowing  fair  from  behind.  Then  he  had  liked 
well  a  race  with  the  famous  fen-skaters. 

The  Manor  House  was  neither  handsome  nor  pic- 


164  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

turesque ;  though  its  dark-red  bricks  made  telling 
contrasts  among  the  ivy,  and  the  few  large  trees  sur- 
rounding it.  It  contained  a  great  number  of  rooms, 
but  none  were  of  large  proportions.  The  ceilings 
were  low,  and  often  crossed  with  heavy  oak  beams; 
while  the  floors,  though  of  polished  oak,  were  very 
uneven.  Hyde  had  refurnished  a  few  of  the  rooms ; 
and  the  showy  paperings  and  chintzes,  the  fine  satin 
and  gilding,  looked  oddly  at  variance  with  the  black 
oak  wainscots,  the  Elizabethan  fireplaces,  and  the 
other  internal  decorations. 

Katherine,  however,  had  no  sense  of  any  incon- 
gruity. She  was  charmed  with  her  home,  from  its 
big  garrets  to  the  great  wine-bins  in  its  underground 
cellars;  and  while  Hyde  wandered  about  the  fens 
with  his  fishing-rod  or  gun,  or  went  into  the  little 
town  of  Hyde  to  meet  over  a  market  dinner  the 
neighboring  squires,  she  was  busy  arranging  every 
room  with  that  scrupulous  nicety  and  cleanliness 
which  had  been  not  only  an  important  part  of  her 
education,  but  was  also  a  fundamental  trait  of  her 
character.  Indeed,  no  Dutch  wife  ever  had  the 
nethied,  or  passion  for  order  and  cleanliness,  in 
greater  perfection  than  Katherine.  She  might  al- 
most have  come  from  Wormeldingen,  "  where  the 
homes  are  washed  and  waxed,  and  the  streets 
brushed  and  dusted  till  not  a  straw  lies  about,  and 
the  trees  have  a  combed  and  brushed  appearance, 
and  do  not  dare  to  grow  a  leaf  out  of  its  place."  So, 
then,  the  putting  in  order  of  this  large  house,  with 
all  its  miscellaneous,  uncared-for  furniture,  gave  her 
a  genuine  pleasure. 

Always  pretty  and  sweet  as  a  flower,  always  beau- 
tifully dressed,  she  yet  directed,  personally,  her  lit- 
tle force  of  servants,  until  room  after  room  became 
a  thing  of  beauty.  It  was  her  employment  during 
those  days  on  which  Hyde  was  fishing  or  shooting; 
and  it  was  not  until  the  whole  house  was  in  exquisite 
condition,  that  Katherine  took  him  through  his  ren- 
ovated dwelling.  He  was  delighted,  and  not  too 
selfish  and  indifferent  to  express  his  wonder  and 
pleasure. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  165 

"Faith,  Kate,"  he  said,  "you  have  made  me  a 
home  out  of  an  old  lumber-house!  I  thought  of 
taking  you  to  London  with  me ;  but,  upon  my  word, 
we  had  better  stay  at  Hyde  and  beautify  the  place. 
I  can  run  down  whenever  it  is  possible  to  get  a  few 
days  off." 

This  idea  gained  gradually  on  both,  and  articles  of 
luxury  and  adornment  were  occasionally  added  to 
the  better  rooms.  The  garden  next  fell  under  Kath- 
erine's  care.  "  In  sweet  neglect,"  it  no  longer 
flaunted  its  beauties.  Roses  and  stocks  and  tiger- 
lilies  learned  what  boundaries  of  box  meant;  and, 
if  flowers  have  any  sense  of  territorial  rights,  Kath- 
erine's  must  have  found  they  were  respected.  En- 
croaching vines  were  securely  confined  within  their 
proper  limits,  and  grass  that  wandered  into  the 
gravel  paths  sought  for  itself  a  merciless  destruc- 
tion. 

All  such  reforms,  if  they  are  not  offensive,  are 
stimulating  and  progressive.  The  stables,  kennels, 
and  park,  as  well  as  the  land  belonging  to  the  manor, 
became  of  sudden  interest  to  Hyde.  He  surprised 
his  lawyer  by  asking  after  it,  and  by  giving  orders 
that  in  future  the  hay  cut  in  the  meadows  should  be 
cut  for  the  Hyde  stables.  Every  small  wrong  which 
he  investigated  and  redressed,  increased  his  sense 
of  responsibility;  and  the  birth  of  his  son  made 
him  begin  to  plan  for  the  future  in  a  way  which 
brought  not  only  great  pleasure  to  Katherine,  but 
also  a  comfortable  self-satisfaction  to  his  own  heart. 

Yet,  even  with  all  these  favorable  conditions, 
Katherine  would  not  have  been  happy  had  the 
estrangement  between  herself  and  her  parents  con- 
tinued a  bitter  or  a  silent  one.  She  did  not  suppose 
they  would  answer  the  letter  she  had  sent  by  the 
fisherman  Hudde;  she  was  prepared  to  ask,  and  to 
wait,  for  pardon  and  for  a  re-gift  of  that  precious 
love  which  she  had  apparently  slighted  for  a  newer 
and  as  yet  untested  one.  So,  immediately  after  her 
arrival  at  Jamaica,  Katherine  wrote  to  her  mother; 
and,  without  waiting  for  replies,  she  continued  her 
letters  regularly  from  Hyde.  They  were  in  a  spirit 


166  'THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

of  the  sweetest  and  frankest  confidence.  She  made 
her  familiar  with  all  her  household  plans  and  wifely 
cares ;  as  room  by  room  in  the  old  manor  was  fin- 
ished, she  described  it.  She  asked  her  advice  with 
all  the  faith  of  a  child  and  the  love  of  a  daughter; 
and  she  sent  through  her  those  sweet  messages  of 
affection  to  her  father,  which  she  feared  a  little  to 
offer  without  her  mother's  mediation. 

But  when  she  had  a  son,  and  when  Hyde  agreed 
to  the  boy  being  named  George,  she  wrote  a  letter  to 
him.  Jons  found  it  one  April  morning  on  his  desk, 
and  it  happened  to  come  in  a  happy  hour.  He  had  been 
working  in  his  garden,  and  every  plant  and  flower 
had  brought  his  Katherine  pleasantly  back  to  his 
memory.  All  the  walks  were  haunted  by  her  image. 
The  fresh  breeze  of  the  river  was  full  of  her  voice 
and  her  clear  laughter.  The  returning  birds,  chat- 
tering in  the  trees  above  him,  seemed  to  ask, 
"  Where,  then,  is  the  little  one  gone  ?  " 

Her  letter,  full  of  love,  starred  all  through  with  pet 
words,  and  wisely  reminding  him  more  of  their  own 
past  happiness  than  enlarging  on  her  present  joy, 
made  his  heart  melt.  He  could  do  no  business  that 
day.  He  felt  that  he  must  go  home  and  tell  Lys- 
bet :  only  the  mother  could  fully  understand  and 
share  his  joy.  He  found  her  cleaning  the  "  Guild- 
i-rhmd  cup,"— the  very  cup  Mrs.  Gordon  had  found 
Katherine  cleaning  when  she  brought  the  first  love 
message,  and  took  back  that  fateful  token,  her  bow 
of  orange  ribbon.  At  that  moment,  Lysbet's 
thoughts  were  entirely  with  Katheriue.  She  was 
wondering  whether  Joris  and  herself  might  not 
some  day  cross  the  ocean  to  see  their  child.  When 
she  heard  her  husband's  step  at  that  early  hour, 
she  put  down  the  cup  in  fear,  and  stood  watching 
the  door  for  his  approach.  The  first  glimpse  of  his 
face  told  her  that  he  was  no  messenger  of  sorrow. 
He  gave  her  the  letter  with  a  smile,  and  then 
walked  up  and  down  while  she  read  it. 

"  Well,  Joris,  a  beautiful  letter  this  is.  And  thou 
has  a  grandson  of  thy.  own  name, — a  little  Joris. 
Oh,  how  I  long  to  see  him!  I  hope  that  he  will 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  167 

grow  like  thee, — so  big  and  handsome  as  thou  art, 
and  also  with  thy  good  heart.  Oh  the  little  Joris ! 
Would  God  he  was  here !  " 

The  face  of  Joris  was  happy,  and  his  eyes  shin- 
ing; but  he  had  not  yet  much  to  say.  He  walked 
about  for  an  hour,  and  listened  to  Lysbet,  who,  as 
she  polished  her  silver,  retold  him  all  that  Katberine 
had  said  of  her  husband's  love,  and  of  his  goodness 
to  her.  With  great  attention  he  listened  to  her  de- 
scription of  the  renovated  house  and  garden,  and  of 
Hyde's  purposes  with  regard  to  the  estate.  Then  he 
sat  down  and  smoked  his  pipe,  and  after  dinner  he 
returned  to  his  pipe  and  his  meditation.  Lysbet 
wondered  what  he  was  considering,  and  hoped  that 
it  might  be  a  letter  of  full  forgiveness  for  her  be- 
loved Katherine. 

At  last  he  rose  and  went  into  the  garden ;  and 
she  watched  him  wander  from  bed  to  bed,  and  stand 
looking  down  at  the  green  shoots  of  the  early 
flowers,  and  the  lovely  inverted  urns  of  the  brave 
snowdrops.  To  the  river  and  back  again,  several 
times  he  walked ;  but  about  three  o'clock  he  came 
into  the  house  with  a  firm,  quick  step,  and,  not  rind- 
ing Lysbet  in  the  sitting-room,  called  her  cheerily. 
She  was  in  their  room  up-stairs,  and  he  went  to 
her. 

"  Lysbet,  thinking  I  have  been,— thinking  of 
Katherine's  marriage.  Better  than  I  expected,  it 
has  turned  out." 

"I  think  that  Katherine  has  made  a  good  mar- 
riage,— the  best  marriage  of  all  the  children." 

"Dost  thou  believe  that  her  husband  is  so  kind 
and  so  prudent  as  she  says  ?  " 

"No  doubt  I  have." 

"  See,  then  :  I  will  send  Katherine  her  portion. 
Cohen  will  give  me  the  order  on  Secor's  Bank  in 
ThreadneedSe  Street.  It  is  for  her  and  her  children. 
Can  I  trust  them  with  it  ?  " 

"  Katherine  is  no  waster,  and  full  of  nobleness  is 
her  husband.  Write  thou  to  him,  and  put  it  in  his 
charge  for  Katherine  and  her  children.  And  tell 
him  in  his  honor  thou  trust  entirely ;  and  I  think 


168  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

that  he  will  do  in  all  things  right.  Nothing  has  he 
asked  of  thee." 

"  To  the  devil  he  sent  my  dirty  guilders,  made  in 
dirty  trade.  I  have  not  forgot." 

"  Joris,  the  Devil  speaks  for  a  man  in  a  passion. 
Keep  no  such  words  in  thy  memory." 

"Lysbet  ?" 

"What  then,  Joris?" 

"  The  drinking-cup  of  silver,  which  my  father 
gave  us  at  our  marriage, — the  great  silver  one  that 
has  on  it  the  view  of  Middleburg,  and  the  arms  of 
the  city.  It  was  given  to  my  great-grandfather 
when  he  was  mayor  of  Middleburg.  His  name,  also, 
was  Joris.  To  my  grandson  shall  I  send  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  my  Joris,  much  pleasure  would  thou  give 
Katherine  and  me  also!  Let  the  little  fellow  have 
it.  Earl  of  Dorset  and  Hyde  he  may  be  yet." 

Joris  blushed  vividly,  but  he  answered,  "  Mayor 
of  New  York  he  may  be  yet.  That  will  please  me 
best." 

"  Five  grandsons  hast  thou,  but  this  is  the  first 
Joris.  Anna  has  two  sons,  but  for  his  dead  brothers 
Kysbaack  named  them.  Cornelia  has  two  sons ;  but 
for  thee  they  called  neither,  because  Van  Dora's 
father  is  called  Joris,  and  with  him  they  are  great 
unfriends.  And,  when  Joanna's  son  was  born,  they 
called  him  Peter,  because  Batavius  hath  a  rich  uncle 
called  Peter,  who  may  pay  for  the  name.  So,  then, 
Katherine's  son  is  the  first  of  thy  grand-children 
that  has  thy  name.  The  dear  little  Joris!  He  has 
blue  eyes  too ;  eyes  like  thine,  she  says.  Yes,  I  would 
to  him  give  the  Middleburg  cup.  William  New- 
man the  jeweler  will  pack  it  safely,  and  by  the  next 
ship  thou  can  send  it  to  the  bankers  thou  spoke  of. 
I  will  tell  Katherine  so.  But  thou,  too,  write  her  a 
letter ;  for  little  she  will  think  of  her  fortune  or  of 
the  cup,  if  thy  love  thou  send  not  with  them." 

And  Joris  had  done  all  that  he  proposed,  and 
done  it  without  one  grudging  thought  or  doubting 
wrord.  The  cup  went,  full  of  good-will.  The  money 
was  given  as  Katherine's  right,  and  was  hampered 
with  no  restrictions  but  the  wishes  of  Joris,  left  to 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  169 

the  honor  of  Hyde.  And  Hyde  was  not  indifferent 
to  such  noble  trust.  He  fully  determined  to  de- 
serve it.  As  for  Katherine,  she  desired  no  greater 
pleasure  than  to  emphasize  her  reliance  in  her  hus- 
band by  leaving  the  money  absolutely  at  his  discre- 
tion. In  fact,  she  felt  a  far  greater  interest  in  the 
Middleburg  cup.  It  had  always  been  an  object  of 
her  admiration  and  desire.  She  believed  her  son 
would  be  proud  to  point  it  out  and  say,  "  It  came 
from  my  mother's  ancestor,  who  was  mayor  of  Mid- 
dleburg, when  that  famous  city  ruled  in  the  East 
India  trade,  and  compelled  all  vessels  with  spice  and 
wines  and  oils  to  come  to  the  crane  of  Middleburg, 
there  to  be  verified  and  gauged."  She  longed  to  re- 
ceive this  gift.  She  had  resolved  to  put  it  between 
the  baby  fingers  of  little  Jpris  as  soon  as  it  arrived. 
"  A  grand  christening-cup  it  will  be,"  she  exclaimed, 
with  childlike  enthusiasm ;  and  Hyde  kissed  her, 
and  promised  to  send  it  at  once  by  a  trusty  mes- 
senger. 

He  was  a  little  amused  by  her  enthusiasm.  The 
Hydes  had  much  plate,  old  and  new,  and  they  were 
proud  of  its  beauty  and  excellence,  and  well  aware 
of  its  worth ;  but  they  were  not  able  to  judge  of  the 
value  of  flagons  and  cups  and  servers  gathered 
slowly  through  many  generations,  every  one  rep- 
resenting some  human  drama  of  love  or  suffering, 
or  some  deed  of  national  significance.  Nearly  all 
of  Joris  Van  Heemskirk's  silver  was  "stored:"  it 
was  the  materialization  of  honor  and  patriotism,  of 
self-denial  or  charity;  and  the  silversmith's  and  en- 

f  raver's  work  was  the  least  part  of  the  Van  Heems- 
irk  pride  in  it. 

As  Joris  sat  smoking  that  night,  he  thought  over 
his  proposal ;  and  then  for  the  first  time  it  struck 
him  that  the  Middleburg  cup  might  have  a  peculiar 
significance  and  value  to  Bram.  It  cost  him  an 
effort  to  put  his  vague  suspicions  into  words,  be- 
cause by  doing  so  he  seemed  to  give  shape  and  sub- 
stance to  shadows ;  but  when  Lysbet  sat  down  with 
a  little  sigh  of  content  beside'him,  and  said,  "A 
happy  night  is  this  to  us,  Joris,"  he  answered,. 


170  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  God  is  good ;  always  better  to  us  than  we  trust  him 
for.  I  want  to  say  now  what  I  have  been  consider- 
ing the  last  hour,— some  other  cup  we  will  send  to 
the  little  Joris,  for  I  think  Bram  will  like  to  have 
the  Midclleburg  cup  best  of  all." 

"  Always  Bram  has  been  promised  the  Guilderland 
cup  and  the  server  that  goes  with  it." 

"  That  is  the  truth ;  but  I  will  tell  you  something, 
Lysbet.  The  Middleburg  cup  was  given  by  the 
Jews  of  Middleburg  to  my  ancestor  because  great 
favors  and  protection  he  gave  them  when  he  was 
mayor  of  the  city.  Bram  is  ver}'  often  with  Miriam 
Cohen,  and  " — 

Then  Joris  stopped,  and  Lysbet  waited  anxiously 
for  him  to  finish  the  sentence;  but  he  only  puffed, 
puffed,  and  looked  thoughtfully  at  the  bowl  of  his 
pipe. 

"  What  mean  you,  Joris  ?  " 

"  I  think  that  he  loves  her." 

"Well?" 

"  That  he  would  like  to  marry  her." 

"  Many  things  that  are  impossible,  man  would  like 
to  do :  that  is  most  impossible  of  all." 

"  You  think  so  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"  Not  impossible  was  it  for  Katherine  to  marry  one 
not  of  her  own  race." 

"  In  my  mind  it  is  not  race  so  much  as  faith.  Far 
more  than  race,  faith  claims." 

"  Hyde  is  a  Lutheran." 

"  A  Lutheran  may  also  be  a  Christian,  I  hope, 
Joris." 

"I  judge  no  man,  Lysbet.  I  have  known  Jews 
that  were  better  Christians  than  some  baptized  in 
the  name  of  Christ  and  John  Calvin, — Jews  who, 
like  the  great  Jew,  loved  God,  and  did  to  their 
fellow-creatures  as  they  wished  to  be  done  by.  And 
if  you  had  ever  seen  Miriam  Cohen,  you  would  not 
make  a  wonder  that  Bram  loves  her." 

"Is  she  so  fair?  " 

"  A  beautiful  face  and  gracious  ways  she  has. 
Like  her,  the  beloved  Rachel  must  have  been,  I 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  171 

think.  Why  do  you  not  stand  with  Bram  as  you 
stood  with  Katherine  ?  " 

"  Little  use  it  would  be,  Joris.  To  give  consent  in 
this  matter,  would  be  a  sacrifice  refused.  Be  sure 
that  Cohen  will  not  listen  to  Bram ;  no,  nor  to  you, 
nor  to  me,  nor  to  Miriam.  If  it  come  to  a  question 
of  race,  more  proud  is  the  Jew  of  his  race  than  even 
the  Englishman  or  the  Dutchman.  If  it  come  to  a 
question  of  faith,  if  all  the  other  faiths  in  the  world 
die  out,  the  Jew  will  hold  to  his  own.  Say  to  Bram, 
'  I  am  willing ; '  and  Cohen  will  say  to  him,  '  Never, 
never  will  I  consent.'  If  you  keep  the  '  Jew's  cup  ' 
for  Bram  and  Miriam,  always  you  will  keep  it ;  yes, 
and  they  that  live  after  you,  too." 

Why  it  is  that  certain  trains  of  thought  and  feel- 
ing move  to  their  end  at  the  same  hour,  though  that 
end  affect  a  variety  of  persons,  no  one  has  yet  ex- 
plained. But  there  are  undoubtedly  currents  of 
sympathy  of  whose  nature  and  movements  we  are 
profoundly  ignorant.  Thus  how  often  we  think  of 
an  event  just  before  some  decisive  action  relating  to 
it  is  made  known  to  us!  How  often  do  we  recall 
some  friend  just  as  we  are  about  to  see  or  hear  from 
him !  How  often  do  we  remember  something  that 
ought  to  be  done,  just  at  the  last  moment  its  suc- 
cessful accomplishment  was  possible  to  us! 

And  at  the  very  hour  Joris  and  Lysbet  were  dis- 
cussing the  position  of  their  son  with  regard  to 
Miriam  Cohen,  the  question  was  being  definitely 
settled  at  another  point.  For  Joris  was  not  the  only 
person  who  had  observed  Bram's  devotion  to  the 
beautiful  Jewess.  Cohen  had  watched  him  with 
close  and  cautious  jealousy  for  many  months ;  but 
he  was  far  too  wise  to  stimulate  love  by  opposition, 
and  he  did  not  believe  in  half  measures.  When  he 
defined  Miriam's  duty  to  her,  he  meant  it  to  be  in 
such  shape  as  precluded  argument  or  uncertainty ; 
and  for  this  purpose  delajr  was  necessary.  Much 
correspondence  with  England  had  to  take  place,  and 
the  mails  were  then  irregular.  But  it  happened, 
that,  after  some  months  of  negotiation,  a  final  and 
satisfactory  letter  had  come  to  him  by  the  same  post 


172  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

as  brought  Katherine's  letter  to  Joris  Van  Heems- 
kirk. 

He  read  its  contents  with  a  sad  satisfaction,  and 
then  locked  it  away  until  the  evening  hours  secured 
him  from  business  interruption.  Then  he  went  to 
his  grandchild.  He  found  her  sitting  quietly  among 
the  cushions  of  a  low  couch.  It  seemed  as  if 
Miriam's  thoughts  were  generally  sufficient  for  her 
pleasure,  for  she  was  rarely  busy.  She  had  always 
time  to  sit  and  talk,  or  to  sit  and  be  silent.  And 
Cohen  liked  best  to  see  her  thus,— beautiful  and 
calm,  with  small  hands  dropped  or  folded,  and  eyes 
half  shut,  and  mouth  closed,  but  ready  to  smile  and 
dimple  if  he  decided  to  speak  to  her. 

She  looked  so  pretty  and  happy  and  careless,  that 
for  some  time  he  did  not  like  to  break  the  spell  of 
her  restful  beauty.  Nor  did  he  until  his  pipe  was 
quite  finished,  and  he  had  looked  carefully  over  the 
notes  in  his  "  day-book."  Then  he  said  in  slow,  even 
tones,  "My  child,  listen  to  me.  This  summer  my 
young  kinsman  Judah  Belasco  will  come  here.  He 
comes  to  marry  you.  You  will  be  a  happy  wife,  my 
dear.  He  has  moneys,  and  he  has  the  power  to  make 
moneys ;  and  he  is  a  good  young  man.  I  have  been 
cautious  concerning  that,  my  dear." 

There  was  a  long  pause.  He  did  not  hurry  her, 
but  sat  patiently  waiting,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  book  in  his  hand. 

"  I  do  not  want  to  marry,  grandfather.  I  am  so 
young.  I  do  not  know  Judah  Belasco." 

"  You  shall  have  time,  my  dear.  It  is  part  of  the 
agreement  that  he  shall  now  live  in  New  York.  He 
is  a  rich  young  man,  my  dear.  He  is  of  the  sephar~ 
dim,  as  you  are  too,  my  dear.  You  must  marry  in 
your  own  caste ;  for  we  are  of  unmixed  blood,  faith- 
ful children  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  All  of  our 
brethren  here  are  Ashkenazem :  therefore,  I  have  had 
no  rest  until  I  got  a  husband  fit  for  you,  my  dear. 
This  was  my  duty,  though  I  brought  him  from  the 
end  of  the  earth.  It  has  cost  me  moneys,  but  I  gave 
cheerfully.  The  thing  is  finished  now,  when  you 
are  ready.  But  you  shall  not  be  hurried,  my  dear." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  173 

"  Father,  I  have  been  a  good  daughter.  Do  not 
make  me  leave  you." 

"  You  have  been  good,  and  you  will  be  good 
always.  What  is  the  command  ?  " 

'  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother." 

'  And  the  promise  ?  " 

'  Then  long  shall  by  thy  days  on  the  earth." 

'  And  the  vow  you  made,  Miriam  ?  " 

'  That  I  would  never  disobey  or  deceive  you." 

*  Who  have  you  vowed  to  ?  " 

'  The  God  of  Israel." 

'  Will  you  lie  unto  him  ?  " 

'  I  would  give  my  life  first." 

'  Now  is  the  time  to  fulfil  your  vow.  Put  from 
your  heart  or  fancy  any  other  young  man.  Have  you 
not  thought  of  our  neighbor,  Bram  Van  Heems- 
kirk?" 

"  He  is  good ;  he  is  handsome.  I  fear  he  loves 
me." 

"  You  know  not  any  thing.  If  you  choose  a  hus- 
band, or  even  a  shoe,  by  their  appearance,  both  may 
pinch  you,  my  dear.  Judah  is  of  good  stock.  Of  a 
good  tree  you  may  expect  good  fruit." 

"  Bram  Van  Heemskirk  is  also  the  son  of  a  good 
father.  Many  times  you  have  said  it." 

*'  Yes,  I  have  said  it.  But  Bram  is  not  of  our  peo- 
ple. And  if  our  law  forbid  us  to  sow  different  seeds 
at  the  same  time  in  the  same  ground,  or  to  graft  one 
kind  of  fruit-tree  on  the  stock  of  another,  shall  we 
dare  to  mingle  ourselves  with  people  alien  in  race 
and  faith,  and  speech  and  customs  ?  My  dear,  will 
you  take  vour  own  way,  or  will  YOU  obey  the  word 
of  the  Lord  ?  " 

"  My  way  cannot  stand  before  his  way." 

"It  is  a  hard  thing  for  you,  my  dear.  Your  way 
is  sweet  to  you.  Offer  it  as  a  sacrifice;  bind  the 
sacrifice,  even  with  cords,  to  the  altar,  if  it  be  neces- 
sary. I  mean,  say  to  Bram  Van  Heemskirk  words 
that  you  cannot  unsay.  Then  there  will  be  only  one 
sorrow.  It  is  hope  and  fear,  and  fear  and  hope,  that 
make  the  heart  sick.  Be  kind,  and  slay,  hope  at 
once,  my  dear." 


174  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  If  Judah  had  been  my  own  choice,  father — " 

"  Choice  ?  My  dear,  when  did  you  get  wisdom  ? 
Do  not  parents  choose  for  their  children  their  food,- 
dress,  friends,  and  teachers  ?  What  folly  to  do  these 
things,  and  then  leave  them  in  the  most  serious 
question  of  life  to  their  own  wisdom,  or  want  of  wis- 
dom! Choice!  Eemember  Van  Heemskirk's  daugh- 
ter, and  the  sin  and  suffering  her  own  choice  cause  d . " 

"  I  think  it  was  not  her  fault  if  two  men  quarreled 
and  fought  about  her." 

"She  was  not  wholly  innocent.  Miriam,  make  me 
not  to  remember  the  past.  My  eyes  are  old  now : 
they  should  not  weep  any  more.  I  have  drunk  my 
cup  of  sorrow  to  the  lees.  O  Miriam,  Miriam,  do 
not  fill  it  again!  " 

"  God  forbid !  My  father,  I  will  keep  the  promise 
that  I  made  you.  I  will  do  all  that  you  wish." 

Cohen  bowed  his  head  solemnly,  and  remained  for 
some  minutes  afterward  motionless.  His  eyes  were 
closed,  his  face  was  as  still  as  a  painted  face. 
Whether  he  was  praying  or  remembering,  Miriam 
knew  not.  But  solitude  is  the  first  cry  of  the 
wounded  heart,  and  she  went  away  into  it.  She  was 
like  a  child  that  had  been  smitten,  and  whom  there 
was  none  to  comfort.  But  she  never  thought  of  dis- 
puting her  grandfather's  word,  or  of  opposing  his 
will.  Often  before  he  had  been  obliged  to  give  her 
some  bitter  cup,  or  some  disappointment;  but  her 
good  had.  always  been  the  end  in  view.  She  had 
perfect  faith  in  his  love  and  wisdom.  But  she  suf- 
fered very  much ;  though  she  bore  it  with  that  un- 
complaining patience  which  is  so  characteristic  of 
the  child  heart,— a  patience  pathetic  in  its  resigna- 
tion, and  sublime  in  its  obedience. 

And  it  was  during  this  hour  of  trial  to  Miriam, 
that  Joris  was  talking  to  Lysbet  of  her.  It  did  him 
good  to  put  his  fears  into  words,  for  Lysbet's  assur- 
ances were  comfortable ;  and  as  it  had  been  a  day 
full  of  feeling,  he  was  weary,  and  went  earlier  to  his 
room  than  usual.  On  the  contrary,  Lysbet  was  very 
wakeful.  She  carried  her  sewing  to  the  candle,  and 
sat  down  for  an  hour's  work.  The  house  was  op- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  175 

pressively  still ;  and  she  could  not  help  remembering 
the  days  when  it  had  been  so  different,— when  Anna 
and  Cornelia  had  been  marriageable  women,  and 
Joanna  and  Katherine  growing  girls.  All  of  them 
had  now  gone  away  from  her.  Only  Bram  was  left, 
and  she  thought  of  him  with  great  anxiety.  Such  a 
marriage  as  his  father  had  hinted  at  filled  her  with 
alarm.  She  could  neither  conquer  her  prejudices 
nor  put  away  her  fears ;  and  she  tormented  herself 
with  imagining,  in  the  event  of  such  a  misfortune, 
all  the  disagreeable  and  disapproving  things  the 
members  of  the  Middle  Kirk  would  have  to  say. 

In  the  midst  of  her  reflections,  Bram  returned. 
She  had  not  expected  him  so  early,  but  the  sound  of 
his  feet  was  pleasant.  He  came  in  slowly;  and, 
after  some  pottering,  irritating  delays,  he  pushed 
his  father's  chair  back  from  the  light,  and  with  a 
heavy  sigh  sat  down  in  it. 

"  Why  sigh  you  so  heavy,  Bram  ?  Every  sigh  still 
lower  sinks  the  heart." 

"  A  light  heart  I  shall  never  have  again,  mother." 

"You  talk  some  foolishness.  A  young  man  like 
you !  A  quarrel  with  your  sweetheart,  is  it  ?  Well, 
it  will  be  over  as  quick  as  a  rainy  day.  Then  the 
sunshine  again." 

"For  me  there  is  no  hope  like  that.  So  quiet  and 
shy  was  my  love." 

"Oh,  indeed!  Of  all  the  coquettes,  the  quiet,  shy 
ones  are  the  worst." 

"  No  coquette  is  Miriam  Cohen.  My  love  life  is  at 
the  end,  mother." 

"  When  began  it,  Bram  ?  " 

"  It  was  at  the  time  of  the  duel.  I  loved  her  from> 
the  first  moment.  O  mother,  mother!  " 

"  Does  she  not  love  you,  Bram  ?  " 

"I  think  so:  many  sweet  hours  we  have  had 
together.  My  heart  was  full  of  hope." 

"  Her  faith,  Bram,  should  have  kept  you  prudent.'*' 

"  'In  what  church  do  you  pray  ?  '  Love  asks  not 
such  a  question.  And,  as  for  her  race,  I  thought  a 
daughter  of  Israel  is  the  beloved  of  all  the  daughters- 
of  God.  A  blessing  to  my  house  she  will  bring." 


176  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  That  is  not  what  the  world  says,  Bram.  No,  my 
son.  It  is  thus,  and  like  it :  that  God  is  angry  with 
his  people,  and  for  that  he  has  scattered  them 
through  all  the  nations  of  the  earth." 

"Such  folly  is  that!  To  colonize,  to  ' take  posses- 
sion '  of  the  whole  earth,  is  what  the  men  of  Israel 
have  always  intended.  Long  before  the  Christ  was 
born  in  Bethlehem,  the  Jews  were  scattered  through- 
out every  known  country.  I  will  say  that  to  the 
dominie.  It  is  the  truth,  and  he  cannot  deny  it." 

"But  surely  God  is  angry  with  them." 

"  I  see  it  not.  If  once  he  was  angry,  long  ago  he 
has  forgiven  his  people.  '  To  the  third  and  fourth 
generation '  only  is  his  anger.  His  own  limit  that 
is.  Who  have  such  blessings  ?  The  gold  and  the 
wine  and  the  fruit  of  all  lands  are  theirs.  Their  in- 
crease comes  when  all  others'  fail.  God  is  not  angry 
-with  them.  The  light  of  his  smile  is  on  the  face  of 
Miriam.  He  teaches  her  father  how  to  traffic  and  to 
prosper.  Do  not  the  Holy  Scriptures  say  that  the 
blessing,  not  the  anger,  of  the  Lord  maketh  rich  ?  " 

"Well,  then,  my  son,  all  this  is  little  to  the  pur- 
pose, if  she  will  not  have  thee  for  her  husband.  But 
be  not  easy  to  lose  thy  heart.  Try  once  more." 

"  Useless  it  would  be.  Miriam  is  not  one  of  those 
who  say  *  no '  and  then  '  yes.'  " 

"  Nearly  two  years  you  have  known  her.  That 
was  long  to  keep  you  in  hope,and  doubt.  I  think 
she  is  a  coquette." 

"  You  know  her  not,  mother.  Very  few  words  of 
love  have  I  dared  to  say.  We  have  been  friends.  I 
was  happy  U>  stand  in  the  store  and  talk  to  Cohen, 
and  watch  her.  A  glance  from  her  eyes,  a  pleasant 
word,  was  enough.  I  feared  to  lose  all  by  asking  too 
much." 

"Then,  why  did  you  ask  her  to-night?  It  would 
have  been  better  had  your  father  spoken  first  to  Mr. 
Cohen." 

"  I  did  not  ask  Miriam  to-night.  She  spared  me 
all  she  could.  She  was  in  the  store  as  I  passed,  and 
I  went  in.  This  is  what  she  said  to  me,  'Bram, 
dear  Bram,  I  fear  that  you  begin  to  love  me,  be- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  177 

cause  I  think  of  you  very  often.  And  my  grand- 
father has  just  told  me  that  I  am  promised  to  Judah 
Belasco  of  London.  In  the  summer  he  will  come 
here,  and  I  shall  marry  him.'  I  wish,  mother,  you 
could  have  seen  her  leaning  against  the  black  kas; 
for  between  it  and  her  black  dress,  her  face  was 
white  as  death,  and  beautiful  and  pitiful  as  an  an- 
gel's." 

"  What  said  you  then  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  scarce  know!  But  I  told  her  how  dearly  I 
loved  her,  and  I  asked  her  to  be  my  wife." 

"  And  she  said  what  to  thee  ?  " 

"  '  My  father  I  must  obey.  Though  he  told  me  to 
slay  myself,  I  must  obey  him.  By  the  God  of  Israel, 
I  have  promised  it  often.'  " 

"  Was  that  all,  Bram  ?  " 

"  I  asked  her  again  and  again,  I  said,  'Only  in 
this  one  thing,  Miriam,  and  all  our  lives  after  it  we 
will  give  to  him.'  But  she  answered,  '  Obedience  is 
better  than  sacrifice,  Bram.  That  is  what  our  law 
teaches.  Though  I  could  give  my  father  the  wealth 
and  the  power  of  King  Solomon,  it  would  be  worth 
less  than  my  obedience.'  And  for  all  my  pleading, 
at  the  last  it  was  the  same,  ' I  cannot  do  wrong;  for 
many  right  deeds  will  not  undo  one  wrong  one.1  So 
she  gave  me  her  hands,  and  I  kissed  them, — my 
first  and  last  kiss,— and  I  bade  her  farewell;  for  my 
hope  is  over, — I  know  that." 

"She  is  a  good  girl.  I  wish  that  you  had  won 
her,  Bram."  And  Lysbet  put  down  her  work  and 
went  to  her  son's  side;  and  \vith  a  great  sob  Bram 
laid  his  head  against  her  breast. 

"  As  one  whom  his  mother  comforteth!  "  Oh,  ten- 
der and  wonderful  consolation!  It  is  the  mother 
that  turns  the  bitter  waters  of  life  into  wine.  Bram 
talked  his  sorrow  over  to  his  mother's  love  and 
pity  and  sympathy;  and  when  she  parted  with  him, 
long  after  the  midnight,  she  said  cheerfully,  "  Thou 
hast  a  brave  soul,  mljn  zoon,  mijn  Bram;  and  this 
trouble  is  not  all  for  thy  loss  and  grief.  A  sweet 
memory  will  this  beautiful  Miriam  be  as  long  as 
thou  livest;  and  to  have  loved  well  a  good  woman, 
will  make  thee  always  a  better  man  for  it." 


178  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 


CHAPTEK  XII. 

LONDON    LIFE. 

"The  town's  a  golden,  but  a  fatal,  circle, 
Upon  whose  magic  skirts  a  thousand  devils, 
In  crystal  forms,  sit  tempting  Innocence, 
And  beckoning  Virtue  from  its  centre." 

—Lee. 

"Where  Vice  not  only  has  usurped  the  place, 
But  the  reward,  and  even  the  name,  of  Virtue." 

THE  trusting,  generous  letter  which  Joris  had 
written  to  his  son-in-law  arrived  a  few  days  before 
Hyde's  departure  for  London.  With  every  decent 
show  of  pleasure  and  gratitude,  he  said,  "  It  is  an 
unexpected  piece  of  good  fortune,  Katherine.  and 
the  interest  of  five  thousand  pounds  will  keep  Hyde 
Manor  up  in  a  fine  style.  As  for  the  principal,  we 
will  leave  it  at  Secor's  until  it  can  be  invested  in 
land.  What  say  you  ?  " 

Katherine  was  quite  satisfied ;  for,  though  natur- 
ally careful  of  all  put  under  her  own  hands,  she  was 
at  heart  very  far  from  being  either  selfish  or  merce- 
nary. In  fact,  the  silver  cup  was  at  that  hour  of 
more  real  interest  to  her.  It  would  be  a  part  of  her 
old  home  in  her  new  home.  It  was  connected  with 
her  life  memories,  and  it  made  a  portion  of  her 
future  hopes  and  dreams.  There  was  also  some- 
thing more  tangible  about  it  than  about  the  bit  of 
paper  certifying  to  five  thousand  pounds  in  her 
name  at  Secor's  Bank. 

But  Hyde  knew  well  the  importance  of  Catherine's 
fortune.  It  enabled  him  to  face  his  relatives  and 
friends  on  a  very  much  better  footing  than  he  had 
anticipated.  He  was  quite  aware,  too,  that  the 
simple  fact  was  all  that  society  needed.  He  expected 
to  hear  in  a  few  days  that  the  five  thousand  pounds 
had  become  fifty  thousand  pounds ;  for  he  knew  that 
rumor,  when  on  the  boast,  would  magnify  any  kind 
of  gossip,  favorable  or  unfavorable.  So  he  was  no 
longer  averse  to  meeting  his  former  companions: 
even  to  them,  a  rich  wife  would  excuse  matrimony. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  179 

And,  besides,  Hyde  was  one  of  those  men  who  re- 
gard money  in  the  bank  as  a  kind  of  good  con- 
science :  he  really  felt  morally  five  thousand  pounds 
the  better.  Full  of  hope  and  happiness,  he  would 
have  gone  at  a  pace  to  suit  his  mood ;  but  English 
roads  at  that  date  were  left  very  much  to  nature  and 
to  weather,  and  the  Norfolk  clay  in  springtime  was 
so  deep  and  heavy  that  it  was  not  until  the  third 
day  after  leaving  that  he  was  able  to  report  for 
duty. 

His  first  social  visit  was  paid  to  his  maternal 
grandmother,  the  dowager  Lady  Capel.  She  was 
not  a  nice  old  woman ;  in  fact,  she  was  a  very  spite- 
ful, ill-hearted,  ill-tempered  old  woman,  and  Hyde 
had  always  had  a  certain  fear  of  her.  When  he 
lauded  in  London  with  his  wife,  Lady  Capel  had 
fortunately  been  at  Bath;  and  he  had  then  escaped 
the  duty  of  presenting  Katherine  to  her.  But  she 
was  now  at  her  mansion  in  Berkeley  Square,  and 
her  claims  upon  his  attention  could  not  be  post- 
poned ;  and,  as  she  had  neither  eyes  nor  ears  in  the 
evenings  for  any  thing  but  loo  or  whist,  Hyde  knew 
that  a  conciliatory  visit  would  have  to  be  made  in 
the  early  part  of  the  day. 

He  found  her  in  the  most  careless  dishabille,  wig- 
less  and  unpainted,  and  rolled  up  comfortably  in  an 
old  wadded  morning-gown  that  had  seen  years  of 
snuffy  service.  But  she  had  outlived  her  vanity. 
Hyde  had  chosen  the  very  hour  in  which  she  had 
nothing  whatever  to  amuse  her,  and  he  was  a  very 
welcome  interruption.  And,  upon  the  whole,  she 
liked  her  grandson.  She  had  paid  his  gambling- 
debts  twice,  she  had  taken  the  greatest  interest  in 
his  various  duels,  and  sided  passionately  with  him 
in  one  abortive  love-affair. 

"  Dick  is  no  milksop,"  she  would  say  approvingly, 
when  told  of  any  of  his  escapades;  "faith,  he  has 
my  spirit  exactly !  I  have  a  great  deal  more  temper 
than  any  one  would  believe  me  capable  of," — which 
was  not  the  truth,  for  there  were  few  people  who 
really  knew  her  ladyship  who  ever  felt  inclined  to 
doubt  her  capabilities  in  that  direction. 


180  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBOX. 

So  she  heard  the  rattle  of  Hyde's  sword,  and  the 
clatter  of  his  feet  on  the  polished  stairs,  with  a  good 
deal  of  satisfaction.  "  I  have  him  here,  and  I  shall 
do  my  best  to  keep  him  here,"  she  thought.  "  Why 
should  a  proper  young  fellow  like  Dick  bury  himself 
alive  in  the  fens  for  a  Dutchwoman  ?  In  short,  she 
has  had  enough,  and  too  much,  of  him.  His  grand- 
mother has  a  prior  claim,  I  hope,  and  then  Arabella 
Suffolk  will  help  me.  I  foresee  mischief  and  amuse- 
ment.— Well,  Dick,  you  rascal,  so  you  have  had  to 
leave  America!  I  expected  it.  Oh,  sir,  I  have 
heard  all  about  you  from  Adelaide !  You  are  not  to 
be  trusted,  either  among  men  or  women.  And  pray 
where  is  the  wife  you  made  such  a  fracas  about.  Is 
she  in  London  with  you  ?  " 

"  No,  madam :  she  preferred  to  remain  at  Hyde, 
and  I  have  no  happiness  beyond  her  desire." 

"  Here's  flame !  Here's  constancy !  And  you  have 
been  married  a  whole  year!  I  am  struck  with 
admiration." 

"A  whole  year, — a  year  of  divine  happiness,  I 
assure  you." 

"  Lord,  sir!  You  will  be  the  laughing-stock  of  the 
town  if  you  talk  in  such  fashion.  They  will  have 
you  in  the  play-houses.  Pray  let  us  forget  our 
domestic  joys  a  little.  I  hear,  however,  that  your 
divinity  is  rich." 

"She  is  not  poor;  though  if— 

"Though  if  she  had  been  a  beggar-girl  you  would 
have  married  her,  rags  and  all.  Swear  to  that,  Dick, 
especially  when  she  brings  you  fifty  thousand 
pounds.  I'm  very  much  obliged  to  her:  you  can 
hardly,  for  shame,  put  your  fingers  in  my  poor  purse 
now,  sir.  And  you  can  make  a  good  figure  in  the 
world ;  and  as  your  cousin  Arabella  Suffolk  is  stay- 
ing with  me,  you  will  be  the  properest  gallant  for  her 
when  Sir  Thomas  is  at  the  House." 

"I  am  at  yours  and  cousin  Arabella's  service, 
grandmother." 

"Exactly  so,  captain;  only  no  more  quarreling 
and  fighting.  Learn  your  catechism,  or  Dr.  Watts, 
or  somebody.  Remember  that  we  have  now  a  bishop 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  181 

in  the  family.  And  I  am  getting  old,  and  want  to  be 
at  peace  with  the  whole  world,  if  you  will  let  me." 

Hyde  laughed  merrily.  "Why,  grandmother, 
such  advice  from  you !  I  don't  trust  it.  There  never 
was  a  more  perfect  hater  than  yourself." 

"  I  know,  Dick.  I  used  to  say,  '  Lord,  this  person 
is  so  bad,  and  that  person  is  so  bad,  I  hate  them! ' 
But  at  last  I  found  out  that  every  one  was  bad  :  so  I 
hate  nobody.  One  cannot  take  a  sword  and  run  the 
whole  town  through.  I  have  seen  some  very  relig- 
ious people  lately;  and  you  will  find  me  very 
serious,  and  much  improved.  Come  and  go  as  you 

E  lease,  Dick:  Arabella  and  you  can  be  perfectly 
appy,  I  dare  say,  without  minding  me." 

"  What  is  the  town  doing  now  ?  " 

"Oh,  balls  and  dances  and  weddings  and  other 
follies!  Thank  the  moon,  men  and  women  never 
get  weary  of  these  things !  " 

"  Then  you  have  not  ceased  to  enjoy  them,  I  hope." 

"  I  still  take  my  share.  Old  fools  will  hobble  after 
young  ones.  I  ride  a  little,  and  visit  a  little,  and 
have  small  societies  quite  to  my  taste.  And  I  have 
my  four  kings  and  aces ;  that  is  saying  every  thing. 
I  want  you  to  go  to  all  the  diversions,  Dick;  and 
pray  tell  me  what  they  say  of  me  behind  my  back. 
I  like  to  know  how  much  I  annoy  people." 

"I  shall  not  listen  to  any  thing  unflattering,  I 
assure  you." 

"  La,  Dick,  you  can't  fight  a  rout  of  women  and 
men  about  your  grandmother!  I  don't  want  you  to 
fight,  not  even  if  they  talk  about  Arabella  and  you. 
It  is  none  of  their  business ;  and,  as  for  Sir  Thomas 
Suffolk,  he  hears  nothing  outside  the  House,  and  he 
thinks  every  Whig  in  England  is  watching  him, — a 
pompous  old  fool!  " 

"Oh,  indeed!  I  had  an  idea  that  he  was  a  very 
merry  fellow." 

"  Merry,  forsooth !  He  was  never  known  to  laugh. 
There  is  a  report  that  he  once  condescended  to 
smile,  but  it  was  at  chess.  As  for  fighting,  he 
wouldn't  fight  a  dog  that  bit  him.  He  is  too 
patriotic  to  deprive  his  country  of  his  own  abilities. 


182  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

No,  Dick :  I  really  do  not  see  any  quarrel  ahead, 
unle.^  you  make  it." 

"  I  shall  think  of  my  Kate  when  I  am  passionate, 
and  so  keep  the  peace." 

"  '  I  shall  think  of  my  Kate.'  Grant  me  patience 
with  all  young  husbands.  They  ought  to  remain  in 
seclusion  until  the  wedding-fever  is  over.  By  the 
Lord  Harry!  If  Jack  Capel  had  spoken  of  me  in 
such  fashion,  I  would  have  given  him  the  best  of 
reasons  for  running  some  pretty  fellow  through  the 
heart.  Hush!  Here  comes  Arabella,  and  I  am 
anxious  you  should  make  a  figure  in  her  eyes." 

Arabella  came  in  very  quietly,  but  she  seemed  to 
take  possession  of  the  room  as  she  entered  it.  She 
had  a  bright,  piquant  face,  a  tall,  graceful  form,  and 
that  air  of  high  fashion  which  is  perhaps  quite  as 
captivating. 

She  was  "  delighted  to  meet  cousin  Dick.  Oh, 
indeed,  you  have  been  the  town  talk!"  she  said, 
with  an  air  of  attention  very  flattering.  "Such  a 
passionate  encounter  was  never  heard  of.  The  clubs 
were  engaged  with  it  for  a  week.  I  was  told  that 
Lord  Paget  and  Sir  Henry  Dutton  came  near  fight- 
ing it  over  themselves.  Was  it  really  about  a  bow 
of  orange  ribbon  ?  And  did  you  wear  it  over  your 
heart?  And  did  the  Scotchman  cut  it  off  with  his 
sword  ?  And  did  you  run  him  through  the  next 
moment!  There  were  the  most  extraordinary 
accounts  of  the  affair,  and  of  the  little  girl  with  the 
unpronounceable  Dutch  name  who — " 

"  Who  is  now  my  wife,  Lady  Suffolk." 
*  "  Certainly,  we  heard  of  that  also.  How  romantic ! 
The  secret  marriage,  the  midnight  elopement,  and 
the  man-of-war  waiting  down  the  river  with  a 
broadside  ready  for  any  boat  that  attempted  to  stop 
you." 

"Oh,  my  lady,  that  is  the  completest  nonsense!  " 

"Say  'cousin  Arabella,'  if  you  please.  Has  not 
grandmother  told  you  that  I,  not  the  Dutch  girl, 
ought  to  have  been  your  wife  ?  It  was  all  arranged 
years  ago,  sir.  You  have  disappointed  grandmother ; 
as  for  me,  I  have  consoled  myself  with  Sir  Thomas." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  183 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Lady  Capel;  "though  Dick 
was  entirely  out  of  the  secret  of  the  match,  my  son 
Will  and  I  had  agreed  upon  it.  I  don't  know  what 
Will  thinks  of  a  younger  son  like  Dick  choosing 
for  himself." 

Then  Arabella  made  Hyde  a  pretty,  mocking  cour- 
tesy, and  he  could  not  help  looking  with  some  inter- 
est at  the  woman  who  might  have  been  his  wife. 
The  best  of  men,  and  the  best  of  husbands,  are 
liable  to  speculate  a  little,  under  such  circum- 
stances, and  in  fancy  to  put  themselves  into  a  posi- 
tion they  have  probably  no  wish  in  reality  to  fill.  - 
She  noticed  his  air  of  consideration ;  and,  with  a  toss 
of  her  handsome  head,  she  spread  out  all  her  finery. 
"You  see,"  she  said,  "I  am  dressed  so  as  to  make 
a  tearing  show."  She  wore  a  white  poudesoy  gown, 
embroidered  with  gold,  and  the  prettiest  high-heeled 
satin  slippers,  and  a  head-dress  of  wonderful  work- 
manship. "  For  I  have  been  at  a  concert  of  music, 
cousin  Dick,  and  heard  two  overtures  of  Mr.  Han- 
del's, and  a  sonata  by  Corella,  done  by  the  very  best 
hands." 

"And,  pray,  whom  did  you  see  there,  my  dear? 
and  what  were  they  talking  about  ?  " 

"  Of  all  people,  grandmother,  I  saw  Lady  Susan 
Eye  and  the  rest  of  her  sort;  and  they  talked  of 
nothing  but  the  coming  mask  at  Kanelagh's.  Cousin, 
I  bespeak  you  for  my  service.  I  am  going  as  a 
gypsy,  for  it  will  give  me  the  opportunity  of  telling 
the  truth.  In  my  own  character,  I  rarely  do  it: 
nothing  is  so  impolite.  But  I  have  a  prodigious 
regard  for  truth ;  and  at  a  mask  I  give  myself  the 
pleasure  of  saying  all  the  disagreeable  things  that  I 
owe  to  my  acquaintances." 

Katherine  was  almost  ignored ;  and  Hyde  did  not 
feel  any  desire  to  bring  even  her  name  into  such  a 
mocking,  jeering,  perfectly  heartless  conversation. 
He  was  content  to  laugh,  and  let  the  hour  go  past  in 
such  flim-flams  of  criticism  and  persiflage.  He  re- 
membered when  he  had  been  one  of  the  units  in  such 
a  life,  and  he  wondered  if  it  were  possible  that  he 
could  ever  drift  back  into  it.  For  even  as  he  sat 


184  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

there,  with  the  memory  of  his  wife  and  child  in  his 
heart,  he  felt  the  light  charm  of  Lady  Arabella's 
claim  upon  him,  and  all  the  fascination  of  that  gay, 
thoughtless  animal  life,  which  appeals  so  strongly 
to  the  selfish  instincts  and  appetites  of  youth. 

He  had  a  plate  of  roast  hare  and  a  goblet  of  wine, 
and  the  ladies  had  chocolate  and  rout  cakes ;  and  he 
ate  and  drank,  and  laughed,  and  enjoyed  their 


bright,  ill-natured  pleasantly,  as  men  enjoy  such 
piquant  morsels.  Thus  a  couple  of  hours  passed ; 
and  then  it  became  evident,  from  the  pawing  and 
snorting  outside,  that  Mephisto's  patience  was  quite 
exhausted.  Hyde  went  to  the  window,  and  looked 
into  the  square.  His  orderly  was  vainly  endeavor- 
ing to  soothe  the  restless  animal;  and  he  said, 
"Mephisto  will  take  no  excuse,  cousin,  and  I  find 
myself  obliged  to  leave  you."  But  he  went  away  in 
an  excitement  of  hope  and  gay  anticipations ;  and, 
with  a  sharp  rebuke  to  the  unruly  animal,  he  vaulted 
into  the  saddle  with  soldierly  grace  and  rapidity. 
A  momentary  glance  upward  showed  him  Lady 
Capel  and  Lady  Suffolk  at  the  window,  watching 
him ;  the  withered  old  woman  in  her  soiled  wrap- 
pings, the  youthful  beauty  in  all  the  braver}7  of  her 
white  and  gold  poudesoy.  In  spite  of  Mephisto's 
opposition,  he  made  them  a  salute;  and  then,  in  a 
clamor  of  clattering  hoofs,  he  dashed  through  the 
square. 

"That  is  the  man  you  ought  to  have  married,  Ara- 
bella," said  Lady  Capel,  as  she  watched  the  young 
face  at  her  side,  which  had  suddenly  become  pensive 
and  dreamy :  "  you  would  have  been  a  couple  for 
the  world  to  look  at.!' 

"Oh,  indeed,  you  are  mistaken,  grandmother! 
Sir  Thomas  is  an  admirable  husband, — blind  and 
deaf  to  all  I  do,  as  a  good  husband  ought  to  be. 
And  as  for  Dick,  look  at  him,— bowing  and  smiling, 
and  ready  to  dp  me  any  service,  while  the  girl  he 
nearly  died  for  is  quite  forgotten." 

"Upon  my  word,  you  wrong  Dick.  His  love  for 
that  woman  is  beyond  every  thing.  I  wish  it  wasn't. 
What  right  had  she  to  come  into  our  family,  and 


THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  185 

spoil  plans  and  projects  made  before  she  was  born. 
I  should  dearly  love,  to  play  her  her  own  card  back. 
And  I  must  say,  Arabella,  that  you  seem  to  care 
very  little  about  your  own  wrongs." 

"Oh,  I  am  by  no  means  certified  that  the  woman 
has  wronged  me!  I  don't  think  I  should  have 
loved  Dick,  in  any  case." 

"Ha!"  Lady  Capel  looked  in  her  grand-daugh- 
ter's musing  face,  and  then,  with  a  chuckle,  hob- 
bled to  the  bell  and  rang  for  her  maid.  "You  are 
very  prudent,  child,  but  I  am  not  one  that  any 
woman  can  deceive.  I  know  all  the  tricks  of  the 
sex.  Oh,  heavens!  what  a  grand  thing  to  be  two 
and  twenty,  with  a  kind  husband  to  manage,  and 
lovers  bowing  and  begging  at  your  shoe-ties !  Well, 
well,  I  had  my  day ;  and,  thank  the  fools,  I  did  some 
mischief  in  it!  Yes,  there  were  eight  duels  fought 
for  me;  and,  while  Somers  and  Scrope  were  wetting 
their  swords  in  the  quarrel,  I  wras  dancing  with  Jack 
Capel.  Jack  told  me  that  night  he  would  make  me 
marry  him  ;  and,  when  I  slapped  his  cheek  with  my 
fan,  he  took  my  hands  in  a  rage,  and  swore  I  should 
do  it  that  hour.  And,  faith,  he  mastered  me !  Your 
grandfather  Capel  had  a  dreadful  temper,  Arabella." 

"  I  have  heard  that  Cousin  Dick  Hyde  has  a  tem- 
per too." 

"  Dick  is  vain ;  and  you  can  make  a  vain  man 
stand  on  his  head,  or  go  down  on  his  knees,  if  you 
only  vow  that  he  performs  the  antics  better  than 
any  other  human  creature.  The  town  will  fling 
itself  at  Dick  Hyde's  feet,  and  Dick  will  fling  him- 
self at  yours.  Mind  what  I  say:  my  prophecies 
always  come  true,  Arabella,  for  I  never  expect  sin- 
ners to  be  saints,  my  dear." 

And  during  the  next  six  months  Lady  Capel  found 
plenty  of  opportunities  for  complimenting  herself 
upon  her  own  penetration.  Society  made  an  idol  of 
Capt.  Hyde;  and,  if  he  was  not  at  Lady  Arabella's 
feet,  he  was  certainly  very  constantly  at  her  side. 
As  to  his  marriage,  it  was  a  topic  of  constant  doubt 
and  dispute.  The  clubs  betted  on  the  subject.  In 
the  ball-rooms  and  the  concert-rooms,  the  ladies 


186  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

positively  denied  it;  and  Lady  Arabella's  smile  and 
shrug  were  of  all  opinions  the  most  unsatisfactory 
and  bewildering.  Some,  indeed,  admitted  the  mar- 
riage, but  averred,  with  a  meaning  emphasis,  that 
madam  was  on  the  proper  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
Others  were  certain  that  Hyde  had  brought  his  wife 
to  England,  but  felt  himself  obliged,  on  account  of 
her  great  beauty,  to  keep  her  away  from  the  con- 
queriug  heroes  of  London  society.  It  was  a  signifi- 
cant index  to  Hyde's  real  character,  that  not  one  of 
his  associates  ever  dared  to  be  familiar  enough  to 
ask  him  for  the  truth  on  a  question  so  delicately 
personal. 

"Hyde  is  exactly  the  man  to  invite  me  to  meet 
him  in  Marylebone  Fields  for  the  answer,"  said  a 
young  officer,  who  had  been  urged  to  make  inquiries 
because  he  was  on  familiar  terms  with  his  comrade. 
"If  it  comes  to  a  matter  of  catechism,  gentlemen, 
I'll  bet  ten  to  one  that  none  of  you  ask  him  two  con- 
secutive questions  regarding  the  American  lady." 

And  perhaps  many  husbands  may  be  able  to  un- 
derstand a  fact,  which  to  the  general  world  seems 
beyond  satisfactory  explanation.  Hyde  loved  his 
wife,  loved  her  tenderly  and  constantly;  he  felt  him- 
self to  be  a  better  man  whenever  he  thought  of  her 
and  his  little  son,  and  he  thought  of  them  very  fre- 
quently; and  yet  his  eyes,  his  actions,  the  tones  of 
his  voice,  daily  led  his  cousin.  Lady  Suffolk,  to  im- 
agine herself  the  empress  of  his  heart  and  life.  Xor 
was  it  to  her  alone  that  he  permitted  this  affectation 
of  love.  He  found  beauty,  wherever  he  met  it,  pro- 
vocative of  the  same  apparent  devotion.  There  were 
a  dozen  men  in  his  own  circle  who  hated  him  with 
all  the  sincerity  that  jealousy  gives  to  dislike  and 
envy ;  there  were  a  score  of  women  who  believed 
themselves  to  have  private  tokens  of  Hyde's  special 
admiration  for  them. 

Unfortunately,  his  military  duties  were  only  on 
very  rare  occasions  any  restraint  to  him.  His  days 
were  mainly  spent  in  dangling  after  Lady  Suffolk  and 
other  fair  dames.  It  was  auctions  at  Christie's,  and 
morning  concerts,  and  afternoon  rides  and  plays, 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  187 

and  dinners  and  balls  and  masks  at  Banelagh's.  It 
was  sails  down  the  river  to  Bichmond,  and  trips  to 
Sadler's  Wells,  and  one  perpetual  round  of  flirting 
and  folly,  of  dressing  and  dancing  and  dining  and 
gaming. 

And  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  English  wo- 
men of  that  day  were  such  as  England  may  well 
hope  never  to  see  again.  They  had  little  education: 
many  very  great  ladies  could  hardly  read  and  spell 
properly.  Their  sole  accomplishments  were  dress- 
ing and  embroidery;  the  ability  to  make  a  few  deli- 
cate dishes  for  the  table,  and  scents  and  pomade  for 
the  toilet.  In  the  higher  classes  they  married  for 
money  or  position,  and  gave  themselves  up^to  in- 
trigue. They  drank  deeply ;  they  played  high ;  they 
very  seldom  went  to  church,  for  Sunday  was  the 
fashionable  day  for  all  kinds  of  frivolity  and  amuse- 
ment. And  as  the  men  of  any  generation  are  just 
what  the  women  make  them,  England  never  had 
sons  so  profligate,  so  profane  and  drunken.  The 
clubs,  especially  Brooke's,  were  the  nightly  scenes 
of  indescribable  orgies.  Gambling  was  their  serious 
occupation ;  duels  were  of  constant  occurrence. 

Such  a  life  could  not  be  lived  except  at  frightful 
and  generally  ruinous  expense.  Hyde  was  soon  em- 
barrassed. His  pay  was  small  and  uncertain ;  and 
the  allowance  which  his  brother  William  added 
to  it,  in  order  that  the  heir-apparent  to  the  earldom 
might  live  in  becoming  style,  had  not  been  calcu- 
lated on  the  squandering  basis  of  Hyde's  expendi- 
tures. Toward  Christmas  bills  began  to  pour  in, 
creditors  became  importunate,  and,  for  the  first  time 
in  his  life,  creditors  really  troubled  him.  Lady 
Capel  was  not  likely  to  pay  his  debts  any  more.  The 
earl,  in  settling  Hyde's  American  obligations,  had 
warned  him  against  incurring  others,  and  had 
frankly  told  him  he  would  permit  him  to  go  to  jail 
rather  than  pay  such  wicked  and  foolish  bills  for  him 
again.  The  income  from  Hyde  Manor  had  never 
been  more  than  was  required  for  the  expenses  of  the 
place ;  and  the  interest  on  Katherine's  money  had 
gone,  though  he  could  not  tell  how.  He  was  desti- 


188  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

tute  of  ready  cash,  and  he  foresaw  that  he  would  have 
to  borrow  some  from  Lady  Capel  or  some  other  ac- 
commodating friend. 

He  returned  to  barracks  one  Sunday  afternoon, 
and  was  moodily  thinking  over  these  things,  when 
his  orderly  brought  him  a  letter  which  had  ar- 
rived during  his  absence.  It  was  from  Katherine. 
His  face  flushed  with  delight  as  he  read  it,  so  sweet 
and  tender  and  pure  was  the  neat  epistle.  He  com- 
pared it  mentally  with  some  of  the  shameless  scented 
billet-doux  he  was  in  the  habit  of  receiving;  and  he 
felt  as  if  his  hands  were  unworthy  to  touch  the  ^hite 
wings  of  his  Katherine's  most  womanly,  wifely  mes- 
sage. -"She  wants  to  see  me.  Oh  the  dear  one! 
Not  more  than  I  want  to  see  her.  Fool,  villian,  that 
I  am :  I  will  go  to  her.  Katherine !  Kate !  My  dear 
little  Kate!  "  So  he  ejaculated  as  he  paced  his  nar- 
row quarters,  and  tried  to  arrange  his  plans  for  a 
Christmas  visit  to  his  wife  and  child. 

First  he  went  to  his  colonel's  lodging,  and  easily 
obtained  two  weeks'  absence ;  then  he  dressed  care- 
fully, and  went  to  his  club  for  dinner.  He  had  de- 
termined to  ask  Lady  Capel  for  a  hundred  pounds ; 
and  he  thought  it  would  be  the  best  plan  to  make 
his  request  when  she  was  surrounded  by  company, 
and  under  the  pleasurable  excitement  of  a  winning 
rubber.  And  if  the  circumstances  proved  adverse, 
then  he  could  try  his  fortune  jn  the  hours  of  her 
morning  retirement. 

The  mansion  in  Berkely  Square  was  brilliantly 
lighted  when  he  approached  it.  Chairs  and  coaches 
were  waiting  in  lines  of  three  deep;  coachmen  and 
footmen  quarreling,  shouting,  talking;  link-boys 
running  here  and  there  in  search  of  lost  articles  or 
missing  servants.  But  the  hubbub  did  not  at  that 
time  make  his  blood  run  quicker,  or  give  any  light  of 
expectation  to  his  countenance ;  for  his  heart  and 
thoughts  were  near  a  hundred  miles  away. 

Sunday  night  was  Lady  Capel's  great  card-night, 
and  the  rooms  were  full  of  tables  surrounded  by 
powdered  and  painted  beauties  intent  upon  the  game 
and  the  gold.  The  odor  of  musk  was  everywhere, 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  189 

and  the  sound  of  the  tapping  of  gold  snuff-boxes, 
and  the  fluttering  of  fans,  and  the  sharp,  technical 
calls  of  the  gamesters,  and  the  hollow  laughter  of 
hollow  hearts.  There  was  a  hired  singing-girl  with 
a  lute  at  one  end  of  the  room,  babbling  of  Cupid  and 
Daphne,  and  green  meadow  and  larks.  But  she  was 
poorly  dressed  and  indifferent  looking ;  and  she  sang 
with  a  sad,  mechanical  air,  as  if  her  thoughts  were 
far  off.  Hyde  would  have  passed  her  without  a 
glance ;  but,  as  he  approached,  she  broke  her  love- 
ditty  in  two,  and  began  to  sing,  with  a  meaning  look 
at  him, — 

"  They  say  there  is  a  happy  land, 

Where  husbands  never  prove  untrue ; 
Where  lovely  maids  may  give  their  hearts, 

And  never  need  the  gift  to  rue : 
Where  men  can  make  and  keep  a  vow, 

And  wives  are  never  in  despair. 
I'm  very  fond  of  seeing  sights,— 

Pray  tell  me,  how  can  I  get  there  ?  " 

The  question  seemed  so  directly  addressed  to  Hyde 
that  he  hesitated  a  moment,  and  looked,  at  the  girl, 
who  then  with  a  mocking  smile  continued, 

"  They  say  there  really  is  a  land, 

Where  husbands  never  are  untrue, 
Where  wives  are  always  beautiful, 

And  the  old  love  is  always  new. 
I've  asked  the  wise  to  tell  me  how 

A  loving  woman  could  get  there ; 
And  this  is  what  they  say  to  me,— 
'  If  you  that  happy  land  would  see, 

There's  only  one  way  to  get  there: 
Go  straight  along  the  crooked  lane, 

And  all  around  the  square.' " 

The  scornful  little  song  followed  him,  and  con- 
veyed a  certain  meaning  to  his  mind.  The  girl 
must  have  taken  her  cue  from  the  gossip  of  those 
who  passed  her  to  any  fro.  He  burned  with  indig- 
nation, not  for  herself,  but  for  his  sweet,  pure  Kath- 
erine.  He  was  determined  that  the  world  should  in 
the  future  know  that  he  held  her  peerless  among 


190  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

women.  In  this  half-aggressive  mood  he  ap- 
proached Lady  Capel.  She  had  been  unfortunate 
all  the  evening,  and  was  not  amiable.  As  he  stood 
behind  her  chair,  Lord  Leffham  asked, — 

"  What  think  you,  Hyde,  of  a  party  at  picquet !  " 

"  Oh,  indeed,  my  lord,  you  are  too  much  for  me!  " 

"I  will  give  you  three  points."  Then,  calling  a 
footman,  "Here,  fellow,  get  cards." 

Lady  Capel  flung  her  own  down.  "No,  no,  Leff- 
ham. Spare  my  grandson :  there  are  bigger  fish 
here. — Dick,  I  am  angry  at  you.  I  have  a  mind  to 
banish  you  for  a  month." 

"  I  am  going  to  Norfolk  for  two  weeks,  madam." 

"That  will  do.  It  is  a  worse  punishment  than  I 
should  have  given  you.  Norfolk !  There  is  only  one 
word  between  it  and  the  plantations.  At  this  time 
of  the  year,  it  is  a  clay  pudding  full  of  villages. 
Give  me  your  arm,  Dick :  I  shall  play  no  more  until 
•  my  luck  turns.  Losing  cards  are  dull  company." 

"I  am  very  sorry  that  you  have  been  losing.  I 
came  to  ask  for  the  loan  of  a  hundred  pounds, 
grandmother." 

"No,  sir,  I  will  not  lend  you  a  hundred  pounds; 
nor  am  I  in  the  humor  to  do  anything  else  you 
desire." 

"  I  make  my  apology  for  the  request.  I  ought  to 
have  asked  Katherine." 

"  No,  sir,  you  ought  not  to  have  asked  Katherine. 
You  ought  to  take  what  you  want.  Jack  Capel  took 
every  shilling  of  my  fortune  and  neither  said,  'by 
your  leave,'  nor  '  thank  you.'  Did  the  Dutchman  tie 
the  bag  too  close  ?  " 

"Councillor  Van  Heemskirk  left  it  open,  in  my 
honor.  When  I  am  scoundrel  enough  to  touch  it, 
I  shall  not  come  and  see  you  at  all,  grandmother." 

"  Upon  my  word,  a  very  pretty  compliment !  Well, 
sir,  I'll  pay  you  a  hundred  pounds  for  it.  When  do 
you  start?" 

"  To-morrow  morning." 

"  Make  it  afternoon,  and  take  care  of  me  as  far  as 
your  aunt  Julia's.  The  duke  is  of  the  royal  bed- 
chamber this  month,  and  I  am  going  to  see  my 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  191 

daughter  while  he  is  away.  It  will  make  him  su- 
premely wretched  at  court  to  know  that  I  am  in  his 
house.  So  I  am  going  there,  and  I  shall  take  care 
he  knows  it." 

"  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  of  his  new  house." 

"A  play-house  kind  of  affair,  Dick,  I  assure  you, 
— all  in  the  French  style ;  gods  and  goddesses  above 
your  head,  and  very  badly  dressed  nymphs  all 
around,  and  his  pedigree  on  every  window,  and  his 
coat-of-arms  on  the  very  stairs.  I  have  the  greatest 
satisfaction  in  treading  upon  them,  I  assure  you." 

"  Why  do  you  take  the  trouble  to  go  ?  It  can  give 
you  no  pleasure." 

"  Imagine  the  true  state  of  things,  Dick.  The 
duke  is  at  court, — say  he  is  holding  the  royal  gold 
wash-basin;  but  in  the  very  sunshine  of  King 
George's  smile,  he  is  thinking,  '  That  snuffy  old 
woman  is  lounging  in  my  white  and  gilt  satin  chairs, 
and  handling  all  my  Chinese  curiosities,  and  asking 
if  every  hideous  Hindoo  idol  is  a  fresh  likeness  of  me.' 
I  am  always  willing  to  take  some  trouble  to  give 
pleasure  to  the  people  I  like ;  I  will  gladly  go  to  any 
amount  of  trouble  to  annoy  the  people  I  hate  as  cor- 
dially as  I  hate  my  good,  rich,  noble  son-in-law,  the  . 
great  Duke  of  Exmouth." 

"  Will  you  play  again  ?  " 

"  No :  I  lost  seventy  pounds  to-night." 

"  I  protest,  grandmother,  that  such  high  stakes 
go  not  with  amusement.  People  come  here,  not  for 
civility,  but  for  the  chance  of  money." 

"Very  well,  sir.  Money!  It  is  the  only  excuse 
for  card-playing.  All  the  rest  is  sinning  without 
temptation.  But,  Dick,  put  on  the  black  coat  to 
preach  in, — why  do  they  wear  black  to  preach  in  ? — 
and  I  am  not  in  a  humor  for  a  sermon.  Come,  to- 
morrow at  one  o'clock :  we  shall  reach  Julia's  before 
dinner.  And  I  dare  say  you  want  money  to-night. 
Here  are  the  keys  of  my  desk.  In  the  right-hand 
drawer  are  some  rouleaus  of  fifty  pounds  each. 
Take  two." 

The  weather,  as  Lady  Capel  said,  was  "  so  very 
Decemberish  "  that  the  roads  were  passably  good, 


192  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

being  frozen  dry  and  hard ;  and  on  the  evening  of 
the  third  day  Hyde  carne  in  sight  of  his  home.  His 
heart  warmed  to  the  lonely  place ;  and  the  few  lights 
in  its  windows  beckoned  him  far  more  pleasantly 
than  the  brilliant  illuminations  of  Vauxhall  or  Al- 
macks,  or  even  the  cold  splendors  of  royal  recep- 
tions. He  had  given  Katherine  no  warning  of  his 
visit, — partly  because  he  had  a  superstitious  feeling 
about  talking  of  expected  joys  (he  had  noticed  that 
when  he  did  so  they  vanished  beyond  his  grasp) ; 
partly  because  love,  like  destiny,  loves  surprises; 
and  he  wanted  to  see  with  his  own  eyes,  and  hear 
with  his  own  ears,  the  glad  tokens  of  her  happy 
wonder. 

So  he  rode  his  horse  upon  the  turf,  and,  seeing  a 
light  in  the  stable,  carried  him  there  at  once.  It 
was  just  about  the  hour  of  the  evening  meal,  and 
the  house  was  brighter  than  it  would  have  been  a 
little  later.  The  kitchen  fire  threw  great  lustres 
across  the  brick-paved  yard ;  and  the  blinds  in 
Katherine's  parlor  were  undrawn,  and  its  fire  and 
candle  light  shone  on  the  freshly  laid  tea-table,  and 
the  dark  walls  gleaming  with  bunches  of  holly  and 
mistletoe.  But  she  was  not  there.  He  only  glanced 
inside  the  room,  and  then,  with  a  smile  on  his  face, 
went  swiftly  up-stairs.  He  had  noticed  the  light  in 
the  upper  windows,  and  he  knew  where  he  would 
find  his  wife.  Before  he  reached  the  nursery,  he 
heard  Katherine's  voice.  The  door  was  a  little  open, 
and  be  could  see  every  part  of  the  charming  domes- 
tic scene  within  the  room.  A  middle-aged  woman 
was  quietly  putting  to  rights  the  sweet  disorder  in- 
cident to  the  undressing  of  the  baby.  Katherine 
had  played  with  it  until  they  were  both  a  little 
flushed  and  weary;  and  she  was  softly  singing  to 
the  drowsy  child  at  her  breast. 

It  was  a  very  singular,  chiming  melody,  and  the 
low,  sweet,  tripping  syllables  were  in  a  language 
quite  unknown  to  him.  But  he  thought  he  had  never 
heard  music  half  so  sweet  and  tender;  and  he  lis- 
tened to  it,  and  watched  the  drowsy,  swaying  move- 
ments of  the  mother,  with  a  strange  delight,— 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  193 

11  Trip  a  trop  a  tronies' 
De  varkens  in  de  boonjes, 
De  keojes  in  de  klaver, 
De  paardeen  in  de  haver, 
De  eenjes  in  de  waterplass, 
So  groot  mijn  kleine  Joris  wass."  * 

Over  and  over,  softer  and  slower,  went  the  mel- 
ody. It  was  evident  that  the  boy  was  asleep,  and 
that  Katherine  was  going  to  lay  him  in  his  cradle. 
He  watched  her  do  it;  watched* her  gently  tuck  in 
the  cover,  and  stand  a  moment  to  look  down  at  the 
child.  Then  with  a  face  full  of  love  she  turned 
away,  smiling,  and  quite  unconsciously  came  toward 
him  on  tiptoes.  With  his  face  beaming,  with  his 
arms  opened,  he  entered;  but  with  such  a  sympa- 
thetic understanding  of  the  sweet  need  of  silence 
and  restraint,  that  there  was  no  alarm,  no  outcry, 
no  fuss  or  amazement.  Only  a  whispered  "  Kather- 
ine," and  the  swift  rapture  of  meeting  hearts  and 
lips. 


CHAPTEKXIII.    . 

THE  TURN  OF  THE  TIDE. 

"Death  asks  for  no  man's  leave, 
But  lifts  the  latch,  and  enters,  and  sits  down." 

4i  Each  hour  brought  her  its  sunny  task,  its  busy  hope." 

"  The  faults  of  love  by  love  are  justified." 
"  It  takes  two  to  tell  a  lie,— one  to  speak,  and  the  other  to  listen." 

THE  great  events  of  most  lives  occur  in  epochs.  A 
certain  period  is  marked  by  a  succession  of  import- 
ant changes ;  but  that  tide  of  fortune,  be  it  good  or 
ill,  culminates,  recedes,  goes  quite  out,  and  leaves 

*  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  of  Flatbush  says  this  was  the  common  lullaby 
In  all  the  Dutch  settlements  on  the  Hudson.  A  free  translation  is, 
that  the  mother's  knee  is  for  a  little  child  a  little  throne,  where  he 
can  be  as  happy  as  pigs  in  beans,  or  cows  in  clover,  or  horses 
among  oats,  or  ducks  in  the  water. 


194  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

life  on  a  level  beach  of  commonplaces.  Then,  sooner 
or  later,  the  current  of  affairs  turns  again ;  some- 
times with  a  calm,  irresistible  flow,  sometimes  in  a 
tidal  wave  of  sudden  and  overwhelming  strength. 
After  Hyde's  and  Katherine's  marriage,  there  was  a 
long  era  noticeable  only  for  such  vicissitudes  as 
were  incident  to  their  fortune  and  position.  But  in 
May,  A.  D.  1774,  the  first  murmur  of  the  returning 
tide  of  destiny  was  heard.  Not  but  what  there  had 
been  for  long  some  vague  and  general  expectation 
of  momentous  events,  which  would  touch  many  in- 
dividual lives;  but,  this  May  night,  a  singular 
prescience  of  change  made  Hyde  restless  and  impa- 
tient. 

It  was  a  dull,  drizzling  evening;  and  there  was  an 
air  of  depression  in  the  city,  to  which  he  was  unus- 
ually sensitive.  For  the  trouble  between  England 
and  her  American  Colonies  was  rapidly  culminating ; 
and  party  feeling  ran  high,  not  only  among  civilians, 
but  throughout  the  royal  regiments.  Recently,  also, 
a  petition  had  been  laid  before  the  king  from  the 
Americans  then  resident  in  London,  praying  him 
not  to  send  troops  to  coerce  his  subjects  in  America ; 
and,  when  Hyde  entered  his  club,  some  members 
were  engaged  in  an  angry  altercation  on  this  sub- 
ject. 

"  The  petition  was  flung  upon  the  table,  as  it 
ought  to  have  been,"  said  Lord  Pa'get. 

"You  are  right,"  replied  Mr.  Hervey:  "they 
ought  to  petition  no  longer.  They  ought  now  to  re- 
sist. Mr.  Dunning  said  in  the  House  last  night  that 
the  tone  of  the  Government  to  the  Colonies  was, 
'Resist,  and  we  will  cut  your  throats;  acquiesce, 
and  we  will  tax  you.'  " 

"  A  kind  of  '  stand  and  deliver'  government,"  re- 
marked Hyde,  whistling  softly. 

Lord  Paget  turned  upon  him  with  hardly  con- 
cealed anger.  "Captain,  you,  sir,  wear  the  king's 
livery." 

"I  give  the  king  my  service:  my  thoughts  are 
my  own.  And,  faith,  Lord  Paget,  it  is  my  humor 
to  utter  them  when  and  how  I  please!  " 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  195 

"  Patience,  gentlemen,"  returned  Mr.  Hervey. 
"  I  think,  my  lord,  we  may  follow  our  leaders.  The 
Duke  of  Eichmond  spoke  warmly  for  Boston  last 
night.  '  The  Bostonians  are  punished  without  a 
hearing,'  he  said;  'and,  if  they  resist  punishment, 
I  wish  them  success.'  Are  they  not  Englishmen, 
and  many  of  them  born  on  English  soil  ?  When 
have  Englishmen  submitted  to  oppression  ?  Neither 
king,  lords,  nor  commons  can  take  away  the  rights 
of  the  people.  It  is  past  a  doubt,  too,  that  his 
Majesty,  at  the  levee  last  night,  laughed  when  he 
said  he  would  just  as  lief  fight  the  Bostonians  as 
the  French.  I  heard  this  speech  was  received  with 
a  dead  silence,  and  that  great  offence  was  given  by 

"  I  think  the  king  was  right,"  said  Paget  passion- 
ately. "  Rebellious  subjects  are  worse  than  open 
enemies  like  the  French." 

"  My  lord,  you  must  excuse  me  if  I  do  not  agree 
with  your  opinions.  Was  the  king  right  to  give  a 
government  to  the  Canadians  at  this  precise  time  ? 
What  can  his  Protestant  North  American  subjects 
think,  but  that  he  designs  the  hundred  thousand 
Catholics  of  Canada  against  their  liberties?  It  is 
intolerable;  and  the  king  was  mobbed  this  after- 
noon in  the  park,  on  the  matter.  As  for  the  bishops 
who  voted  the  Canada  bill,  they  ought  to  be  un- 
frocked." 

"  Mr.  Hervey,  I  beg  to  remind  you  that  my  uncle, 
who  is  of  the  see  of  St.  Cuthbert,  voted  for  it." 

"Oh,  it  is  notorious  that  all  the  English  bishops, 
excepting  only  Dr.  Shipley,  voted  for  war  with 
America !  I  hear  that  they  anticipate  an  hierarchy 
there  when  the  country  is  conquered.  And  the  fight 
has  begun  at  home,  for  Parliament  is  dissolved  on 
the  subject." 

"It  died  in  the  Roman-Catholic  faith,"  laughed 
Hyde,  "  and  left  us  a  rebellion  for  a  legacy." 

"  Capt.  Hyde,  you  are  a  traitor." 

"  Lord  Paget,  I  deny  it.  My  loyalty  does  not 
compel  me  to  swear  by  all  the  follies  and  crimes  of 
the  Government.  My  sword  is  my  country's ;  but  I 


196  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

would  not,  for  twenty  kings,  draw  it  against  my 
own  countrymen," — then  with  a  meaning  glance  at 
Lord  Paget,  and  an  emphatic  touch  of  his  weapon, 
— "  except  in  my  own  private  quarrel.  And,  if  this 
be  treason,  let  the  king  look  to  it.  He  will  find  such 
treason  in  every  regiment  in  England.  They  say 
he  is  going  to  hire  Hessians :  he  will  need  them  for 
his  American  business,  for  he  has  no  prerogative  to 
force  Englishmen  to  murder  Englishmen." 

"  I  would  advise  you  to  be  more  prudent,  Capt. 
Hyde,  if  it  is  in  your  power." 

"  I  would  advise  you  to  mind  your  own  affairs, 
Lord  Paget." 

"  It  is  said  that  you  married  an  American." 

"  If  you  are  perfectly  in  your  senses,  my  lord, 
leave  my  affairs  alone." 

"For  my  part,  I  never  believed  it;  and  now  that 
Lady  Suffolk  is  a  widow,  with  revenues,  possibly 
you  may—" 

"Ah,  you  are  jealous,  I  perceive!"  and  Hyde 
laughed  scornfully,  and  turned  on  his  heel  as  if  to 
go  up-stairs. 

Lord  Paget  , followed,  and  laid  his  hand  upon 
Hyde's  arm. 

"Hands  off,  my  lord.  Hands  off  all  that  belongs 
to  me.  And  I  advise  you  also  to  cease  your  imper- 
tinent attentions  to  my  cousin  Lady  Suffolk." 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Hervey,  "  this  is  no  time 
for  private  quarrels;  and,  captain,  here  is  a  fellow 
with  a  note  for  you.  It  is  my  Lady  Capel's  footman, 
and  he  says  he  comes  in  urgent  speed." 

Hyde  glanced  at  the  message.  "  It  is  a  last  com- 
mand, Mr.  Hervey ;  and  I  must  beg  you  to  say  what 
is  proper  for  my  honor  to  Lord  Paget.  Lady  Capel 
is  at  the  death-point,  and  to  her  requests  I  am  first 
bounden." 

It  was  raining  hard  when  he  left  the  club,  a  most 
dreary  night  in  the  city.  The  coach  rattled  through 
the  muday  streets,  and  brought,  as  it  went  along, 
many  a  bored,  heavy  countenance  to  the  steaming 
windows,  to  watch  and  to  wonder  at  its  pace.  Lady 
CJapel  had  been  death-stricken  while  at  whist,  and 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  197 

she  had  not  been  removed  from  the  parlor  in  which 
she  had  been  playing  her  last  game:  She  was 
stretched  upon  a  sofa  in  the  midst  of  the  deserted 
tables,  yet  covered  with  scattered  cards  and  half- 
emptied  tea-cups.  Only  Lady  Suffolk  and  a  physi- 
cian were  with  her ;  though  the  corridor  was  full  of 
terrified,  curious  servants,  not  unkindly  gloating 
over  such  a  bit  of  sensation  in  their  prosaic  lives. 

At  this  hour  it  was  evident,  that,  above  every 
thing  in  the  world,  the  old  lady  had  loved  the  wild, 
extravagant  grandson,  whose  debts  she  had  paid 
over  and  over,  whom  she  had  for  years  alternately 
petted  and  scolded. 

"O  Dick,"  she  whispered,  "I've  got  to  die!  We 
all  have.  I've  had  a  good  time,  Dick." 

"  Shall  I  go  for  cousin  Harold  ?  I  can  bring  him 
in  an  hour." 

"No,  no.  I  want  no  priests;  no  better  than  we 
are,  Dick.  Harold  is  a  proud  sinner;  Lord,  what  a 
proud  sinner  he  is !  "  Then,  with  a  glint  of  her  usual 
temper,  "He'd  snub  the  twelve  apostles  if  he  met 
them  without  mitres.  No  priests,  Dick.  It  is  you  I 
want.  I  have  left  you  eight  thousand  pounds, — all 
I  could  save,  Dick.  Every  thing  goes  back  to  Wil- 
liam now;  but  the  eight  thousand  pounds  is  yours. 
Arabella  is  witness  to  it.  Dick,  Dick,  you  will  think 
of  me  sometimes  ?  " 

And  Hyde  kissed  her  fondly.  Ugly,  heartless,  sin- 
ful, she  might  be  to  others ;  but  to  him  she  had  been 
a  double  mother.  "I'll  never  forget  you,"  he  an- 
swered, "never,  grandmother." 

"  I  know  what  the  town  will  say :  '  Well,  well,  old 
Lady  Capel  has  gone  to  her  deserts  at  last.'  Don't 
mind  them,  Dick.  Let  them  talk.  They  will  have 
to  go  too:  it's  the  old  round,— meat  and  mirth,  and 
then  to  bed — a — long — sleep." 

"Grandmother?" 

"I  hear  you,  Dick.    Good-night." 

"  Is  there  any  thing  yon  want  done  ?  Think,  dear 
grandmother." 

"  Don't  let  Exmouth  come  to  my  funeral.  I  don't 
want  him — grinning  over — my  coffin." 


198  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  Any  other  thing  ?  " 

"  Put  me  beside  Jack  Capel.  I  wonder— if  I  shall 
— seek  Jack."  A  shadow,  gray  and  swift,  passed 
over  her  face.  Her  eyes  flashed  one  piteous  look  into 
Hyde's  eves,  and  then  closed  forever. 

And  while  in  the  rainy,  dreary  London  twilight 
Lady  Capel  was  dying,  Katherine  was  in  the  garden 
at  Hyde  Manor,  watching  the  planting  of  seeds  that 
were  in  a  few  weeks  to  be  living  things  of  beauty 
and  sweetness.  It  had  ceased  raining  at  noon  in 
Norfolk ;  and  the  gravel  walks  were  perfectly  dry, 
and  the  air  full  of  the  fragrance  of  innumerable 
violets.  All  the  level  land  was  wearing  buttercups. 
Full  of  secrets,  of  fluttering  wings,  and  building 
nests  were  the  trees.  In  the  apple-blooms  the  bees 
were  humming,  delirious  with  de*light.  From  the 
beehives  came  the  peculiar  and  exquisite  odor  of 
virgin  wax.  Somewhere  near,  also,  the  gurgle  of 
running  water  spread  an  air  of  freshness  all  around. 

And  Katherine,  with  a  little  basket  full  of  flower- 
seeds,  was  going  with  the  gardener  from  bed  to  bed, 
watching  him  plant  them.  No  one  who  had  seen 
her  in  the  childlike  loveliness  of  her  early  girlhood 
could  have  imagined  the  splendor  of  her  matured 
beauty.  She  had  grown  "  divinely  tall,"  and  the 
exercise  of  undisputed  authority  had  added  a  gra- 
cious stateliness  of  manner.  Her  complexion  was 
wonderful,  her  large  blue  eyes  shining  with  tender 
lights,  her  face  full  of  sympathetic  revelations. 
Above  all,  she  had  that  nameless  charm  which  comes 
from  a  freedom  from  all  anxious  thought  for  the 
morrow;  that  charm  of  which  the  sweet  secret  is 

generally  lost  after  the  twentieth  summer.  Her 
asket  of  seeds  was  clasped  to  her  side  within  the 
hollow  of  her  left  arm,  and  with  her  right  hand  she 
lifted  a  long  petticoat  of  quilted  blue  satin.  Above 
this  garment  she  wore  a  gown  of  wood-colored 
taffeta,  sprigged  with  rose-buds,  and  a  stomacher  of 
fine  lace  to  match  the  deep  rufflings  on  her  elbow- 
sleeves. 

Little  Joris  was  with  his  mother,  running  hither 
and  thither,  as  his  eager  spirits  led  him ;  now  paus- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  199 

ing  to  watch  her  drop  from  her  white  fingers  the 
precious  seed  into  its  prepared  bed,  anon  darting 
after  some  fancied  joy  among  the  pyramidal  yews, 
and  dusky  treillages,  and  cradle  walks  of  holly  and 
privit.  For,  as  Sir  Thomas  S  waff  ham  said,  "  Hyde 
garden  looked  just  as  if  brought  from  Holland;" 
and  especially  so  in  the  spring,  when  it  was  ablaze 
with  gorgeous  tulips  and  hyacinths. 

She  had  heard  much  of  Lady  Capel,  and  she  had 
a  certain  tenderness  for  the  old  woman  who  loved 
her  husband  so  truly ;  but  no  thought  of  her  entered 
into  Katheriue's  mind  that  calm  evening  hour. 
Neither  had  she  any  presentiment  of  sorrow.  Her 
soul  was  happy  and  untroubled,  and  she  lingered  in 
the  sweet  place  until  the  tender  touch  of  gray  twi- 
light was  over  fen  and  field.  Then  her  maid,  with  a 
manner  full  of  pleasant  excitement,  came  to  her,  and 
said,— 

"  Here  be  a  London  peddler,  madam ;  and  he  do 
have  all  the  latest  fashions,  and  the  news  of  the  king 
and  the  Americans.** 

Now,  for  many  reasons,  the  advent  of  a  London 
peddler  was  a  great  and  pleasant  event  at  the  Manor 
House.  Katharine  had  that  delightful  and  excus- 
able womanly  foible,  a.  love  of  fine  clothing;  and 
shops  for  its  sale  were  very  rare,  even  in  towns  of 
considerable  size.  It  was  from  packmen  and  hawk- 
ers that  fine  ladies  bought  their  laces  and  ribbons 
and  gloves ;  their  precious  toilet  and  hair  pins,  their 
paints  and  powders,  and  India  scarfs,  and  fans,  and 
even  jewelry.  These  hawkers  were  also  .the  great 
news-bearers  to  the  lonely  halls  and  granges  and 
farmhouses;  and  they  were  everywhere  sure  of  a 
welcome,  and  of  such  entertainment  as  they  re- 
quired. Generally  each  peddler  had  his  recognized 
route  and  regular  customers;  but  occasionally  a 
strange  dealei  called,  and  such,  having  unfamiliar 
wares,  was  doubly  welcome.  "Is  it  Parkins,  Let- 
tice  ?  "  asked  Katherine,  as  she  turned  with  interest 
toward  the  house. 

"No,  ma'am,  it  isn't  Parkins;  and  I  do  think  as 
the  man  never  showed  a  face  in  Hyde  before ;  but  he 
do  say  that  he  has  a  miracle  of  fine  things." 


200  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  was  exhibiting  them  to  Kath- 
erine,  and  she  was  too  much  interested  in  the  wares 
to  notice  their  merchant  particularly.  Indeed,  he 
had  one  of  those  faces  which  reveal  nothing ;  a  face 
flat,  hard,  secret  as  a  wall,  wrinkled  as  an  old  ban- 
ner. He  was  a  hale,  thick-set  man,  dressed  in 
breeches  of  corduroy,  and  a  sleeved  waistcoat  down 
to  his  knees  of  the  same  material.  His  fur  cap  was 
on  the  carpet  beside  his  pack ;  and  he  had  a  fluent 
tongue  in  praise  of  his  wares,  as  he  hung  his  silks 
over  Lettice's  outstretched  arm,  or  arranged  the 
scarfs  across  her  shoulders. 

There  was  a  slow  but  mutually  satisfactory  ex- 
change of  goods  and  money ;  and  then  the  peddler 
began  to  repack  his  treasures,  and  Lettice  to  carry 
away  the  pretty  trifles  and  the  piece  of  satin  her 
mistress  had  bought.  Then,  also,  he  found  time  to 
talk,  to  take  out  the  last  newspapers,  and  to  describe 
the  popular  dissatisfaction  at  the  stupid  tyranny  of 
the  Government  toward  the  Colonies.  For  either 
from  information,  or  by  some  process  rapid  as  in- 
stinct, he  understood  to  which  side  Katherine's 
sympathies  went. 

* "  Here  be  the  '  Flying  Postman,'  madam,  with  the 
great  speech  of  Mr.  Burke  in  it  about  the  port  of 
Boston;  but  it  won't  do  a  mossel  o'  good,  madam, 
though  he  do  tell  'em  to  keep  their  hands  out  o'  the 
Americans'  pockets." 

"  The  port  of  Boston  ?  " 

"See  you,  madam,  they  are  a-going  to  shut  the 
port  o'  Boston,  and  make  Salem  the  place  of  entry ; 
that's  to  punish  the  Bostonians ;  and  Mr.  Burke,  he 
says,  'The  House  has  been  told  that  Salem  is  only 
seventeen  miles  from  Boston ;  but  justice  is  not  an 
idea  of  geography,  and  the  Americans  are  condemned 
without  being  heard.  Yet  the  universal  custom,  on 
any  alteration  of  charters,  is  to  hear  the  parties  at 
the  bar  of  the  House.  Now,  the  question  is,  are  the 
Americans  to  be  heard,  or  not,  before  the  charter 
is  broken  for  our  convenience.  .  .  .  The  Boston  bill 
is  a  diabolical  bill.'" 

He  read  aloud  this  bit  of  Mr.  Burke's  fiery  elo- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  201 

quence,  in  a  high,  droning  voice,  and  would,  accord- 
ing to  his  custom,  have  continued  the  entertain- 
ment; but  Katherine,  preferring  to  use  her  own  in- 
telligence, borrowed  the  paper  and  was  about  to 
leave  the  room  with  it,  when  he  suddenly  remembered 
a  scarf  of  great  beauty  which  he  had  not  shown. 

"  I  bought  it  for  my  Lady  Suffolk,"  he  said ;  "  but 
Lord  Suffolk  died  sudden,  and  black  my  lady  had  to 
wear.  It's  forrin,  madam ;  and  here  it  is,— the  very 
color  of  affradiles.  But  mayhap,  as  it  is  candle- 
teening,  you'd  like  to  wait  till  the  day  comes  again." 

A  singular  look  of  speculation  came  into  Kath- 
erine's  face.  She  examined  the  scarf  without  delay ; 
and,  as  she  fingered  the  delicate  silk,  she  led  the  man 
on  to  talk  of  Lady  Suffolk,  though,  indeed,  he 
scarcely  needed  the  stimulus  of  questioning.  With- 
out regard  as  to  whether  Katherine  was  taking  any 
interest  or  not  in  his  information,  he  detailed  with 
hurried  avidity  the  town  talk  that  had  clung  to  her 
reputation  for"  so  many  years ;  and  he  so  fully  de- 
scribed the  handsome  cavalry  officer  that  was  her 
devoted  attendant,  that  Katherine  could  have  had 
no  difficulty  in  recognizing  her  husband,  even  with- 
out the  clews  which  her  own  knowledge  of  the  parties 
gave  her. 

She  stood  in  the  gray  light  by  the  window,  finger- 
ing the  delicate  satin,  and  listening.  The  peddler 
glanced  from  his  goods  to  her  face,  and  talked 
rapidly, .interloping  bits  of  news  about  the  court  and 
the  fashions ;  but  going  always  back  to  Lady  Suffolk 
and  her  lover,  and  what  was  likely  to  take  place  now 
that  Lord  Suffolk  was  out  of  the  way.  "Though 
there's  them  that  do  say  the  captain  has  a  comely 
wife  hid  up  in  the  country." 

Suddenly  she  turned  and  faced  the  stooping  man  : 
"  Your  scarf  take :  I  will  not  have  it.  No,  and  I  will 
not  have  any  thing  that  I  have  bought  from  you. 
All  of  the  goods  you  shall  receive  back;  and  my 
money,  give  it  to  me.  You  are  no  honest  ha\vker : 
you  are  a  bad  man,  who  have  come  here  for  a  bad 
woman.  You  know  that  of  my  husband  you  have 
been  talking — I  mean  lying.  You  know  that  this  is 


2U2  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  EIBBOX. 

his  house,  and  that  his  true  .wife  am  I.  Not  one 
more  word  shall  you  speak. — Lettice,  bring  here  all 
the  goods  I  bought  from  this  man  ;  poisoned  may  be 
the  unguents  and  scents  and  gloves.  Of  such  things 
I  have  heard." 

She  had  spoken  with  an  angry  rapidity  that  for  the 
moment  confounded  the  stranger;  but  at  this  point 
he  lifted  himself  with  an  insolent  air,  and  said, 
"  The  goods  be  bought  and  paid  for,  madam;  and, 
in  faith,  I  will  not  buy  them  back  again." 

"  In  faith,  then,  I  will  send  for  Sir  Thomas  S waff- 
ham.  A  magistrate  is  he,  and  Capt.  Hyde's  friend. 
Not  one  penny  of  my  money  shall  you  have ;  for,  in- 
deed, your  goods  I  will  not  wear."  * 

She  pointed  then  to  the  various  articles  which  Let- 
tice had  brought  back ;  and,  with  the  shrug  of  a  man 
who  accepts  the  inevitable,  he  replaced  them  in  his 
pack,  and  then  ostentatiously  counted  back  the 
money  Katherine  had  given  him.  She  examined 
every  coin,  and  returned  a  crown.  "  My  piece  this 
is  not.  It  may  be  false.  I  will  have  the  one  I  gave 
to  you. — Lettice,  bring  here  water  in  a  bowl ;  let  the 
silver  and  gold  lay  in  it  until  morning.'*  And,  turn- 
ing to  the  peddler, "  Your  cap  take  from  the  floor,  and 
go." 

"Surely,  madam,  you  be  not  so  cruel  as  to  turn 
me  on  the  fens,  and  it  a  dark  night.  There  be  bogs 
all  about  j  and  how  the  road  d©  lay  for  the  next 
house,  I  know  not." 

"  The  joad  to  my  house  you  could  find  ;  well,  then, 
you  can  find  the  road  back  to  the  woman  who  sent 
you  here.  With  my  servants  you  shall  not  sit ;  under 
my  roof  you  shall  not  stay." 

"  I  have  no  mind  to  go."         . 

"  See  you  the  mastiff  at  my  feet  ?  I  advise  you 
stir  him  not  up,  for  death  is  in  his  jaw.  To  the  gate, 
and  with  good  haste  !  In  one  half-hour  the  kennels 
I  will  have  opened.  If  then  within  my  boundaries 
you  are,  it  is  at  your  life's  peril." 

She  spoke  without  passion  and  without  hurry  or 
alarm ;  but  there  was  no  mistaking  the  purpose  in 
her  white,  resolute  face  and  fearless  attitude.  And 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  203 

the  peddler  took  in  the  situation  very  quickly ;  for  the 
dog  was  already  watching  him  with  eyes  of  fiery 
suspicion,  and  an  occasional  deep  growl  was  either 
a  note  of  warning  to  his  mistress,  or  of  defiance  to 
the  intruder.  With  an  evil  glance  at  the  beautiful, 
disdainful  woman  standing  over  him,  the  peddler  rose 
and  left  the  house;  Katherine  and  the  dog  so  closely 
following,  that  the  man,  stooping  under  his  heavy 
burden,  heard  her  light  footsteps  and  the  mastiff's 
heavy  breathing  close  at  his  heels,  until  he  passed 
the  large  gates  and  found  himself  on  the  dark  fen, 
with  just  half  an  hour  to  get  clear  of  a  precinct  he 
had  made  so  dangerous  to  himself. 

For,  when  he  remembered  Katherine's  face,  he 
muttered,  "There  isn't  a  mossel  o' doubt  but  what 
she'll  hev  the  brutes  turned  loose.  Dash  it!  women 
do  beat  all.  But  I  do  hev  one  bit  o'  comfort, — high- 
to-instep  as  she  js,  she's  heving  a  bad  time  of  it  now, 
by  herself. .  I  do  think  that,  for  sure."  And  the 
reflection  gave  him  some  gratification,  as  he  cau- 
tiously felt  his  steps  forward  with  his  strong  staff. 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"Let  me  not  to  the  marriage  of  true  minds 

Admit  impediments  :  love  is  not  love 
Which  alters  when  it  alteration  finds." 

44  There's  beggary  in  the  love  that  can  be  reckoned." 
"The  end  crowns  all." 

IN  some  respects,  the  peddler's  anticipations  were 
correct.  Katherine  had  '  a  bad  time  by  herself ' 
that  night ;  for  evil  has  this  woful  prerogative,— it 
can  wound  the  good  and  the  innocent,  it  can  make 
wretched  without  provocation  and  without  desert. 
But,  whatever  her  suffering,  it  was  altogether  her 


204  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

own.  She  made  no  complaint,  and  she  offered  no 
explanation  of  her  singular  conduct.  Her  house- 
hold, however,  had  learned  to  trust  her;  and  the 
men  and  women  servants,  sitting  round  the  kitchen- 
fire  that  night,  talked  over  the  circumstance,  and 
found  its  very  mystery  a  greater  charm  than  any 
possible  certainty,  however  terrible,  could  have 
given  them. 

"She  be  a  stout-hearted  one,"  said  the  ostler  ad- 
miringly. "  Tony  and  I  a-watched  her  and  the  dog 
a-driying  him  through  the  gates.  With  his  bundle 
on  his  back,  he  was  a-shuffling  along,  a-nigh  on  his 
all-fours;  and  the  madam  at  his  heels,  with  her 
head  up  in  the  air,  and  her  eyes  a-shining  like 
candles." 

"  It  would  be  about  the  captain  he  spoke." 

The-  remark  was  ventured  by  Lettice  in  a  low 
voice,  and  the  company  looked  at  each  other  and 
nodded  confidentially.  "For  the  captain  was  a  per- 
son of  great  and  mysterious  importance  in  the 
house.  All  that  was  done  was  in  obedience  to  some 
order  received  from  him.  Katherine  quoted  him 
continually,  granted  every  favor  in  his  name,  made 
him  the  authority  for  every  change  necessary.  His 
visits  were  times  of  holiday,  when  discipline  was  re- 
laxed, and  the  methodical  economy  of  life  at  the 
manor  house  changed  into  festival.  And  Hyde  had 
precisely  that  dashing  manner,  that  mixture  of 
frankness  and  authority,  which  dependents  admire. 
The  one  place  in  the  whole  world  where  nobody 
would  have  believed  wrong  of  Hyde  was  in  Hyde's 
own  home. 

And  yet  Katherine,  in  the  secrecy  of  her  chamber, 
felt  her  heart  quake.  She  had  refused  to  think  of 
the  circumstance  until  after  she  had  made  a  pre- 
tense of  eating  her  supper,  and  had  seen  little  Joris 
asleep,  and  dismissed  Lettice,  with  all  her  accus- 
tomed deliberation  and  order.  But,  oh,  how  grate- 
fully she  turned  the  key  of  her  room!  How  glad 
she  felt  to  be  alone  with  the  fear  and  the  sorroxv  that 
had  come  to  her!  For  she  wanted  to  face  it  hon- 
estly; and  as  she  stood  with  eyes  cast  down,  and 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  205 

hands  clasped  behind  her  back,  the  calm,  resolute 
spirit  of  her  fathers  gathered  in  her  heart,  and  gave 
an  air  of  sorrowful  purpose  to  her  face  and  attitude. 
At  that  hour  she  was  singularly  like  Jons  Van 
Heemskirk;  and  any  one  familiar  with  the  councillor 
would  have  known  Katherine  to  be  his  daughter. 

Most  women  are  restless  when  they  are  in  anxiety. 
Katherine  felt  motion  to  be  a  mental  disturbance. 
She  sat  down,  and  remained  still  as  a  carven  image, 
thinking  over  what  had  been  told  her.  There  had 
been  a  time  when  her  husband's  constant  talk  of 
Lady  Suffolk  had  pained  her,  and  when  she  had 
been  a  little  jealous  of  the  apparent  familiarity 
which  existed  in  their  relations  with  each  other;  but 
Hyde  had  laughed  at  her  fears,  and  she  had  taken  a 

§ride  in  putting  his  word  above  all  her  suspicions, 
he  had  seen  him  receive  letters  which  she  knew  to 
be  from  Lady  Suffolk.  She  had  seen  him  read  and 
destroy  them  without  remark.  She  was  aware  that 
many  a  love-billet  from  fine  ladies  followed  him  to 
Hyde.  But  it  was  in  accord  with  the  integrity  of 
her  own  nature  to  believe  in  her  husband's  faithful- 
ness. She  had  made  one  inquiry  on  the  subject,  and 
his  assurance  at  that  time  she  accepted  as  a  final 
settlement  of  all  doubts.  And  if  she  had  needed 
further  evidence,  she  had  found  it  in  his  affectionate 
and  constant  regard  for  her,  and  in  his  love  for  his 
child  and  his  home. 

It  was  also  a  part  of  Katherine's  just  and  upright 
disposition  to  make  allowances  for  the  life  by  which 
her  husband  was  surrounded.  She  understood  that 
he  must  often  be  placed  in  circumstances  of  great 
temptation  and  suspicion.  Hyde  had  told  her  that 
there  were  necessarily  events  in  his  daily  experience 
of  which  it  was  better  for  her  to  be  ignorant.  "  They 
belong  to  it,  as  my  uniform  does,"  he  said ;  "they 
are  a  part  of  its  appearance :  but  they  never  touch 
my  feelings,  and  they  never  do  you  a  moment's 
wrong,  Katherine."  This  explanation  it  had  been 
the  duty  both  of  love  and  of  wisdom  to  accept;  and 
she  had  done  so  with  a  faith  which  asked  for  no 
conviction  beyond  it. 


206  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

And  now  she  was  told  that  for  years  he  had  been 
the  lover  of  another  woman ;  that  her  own  existence 
was  doubted  or  denied;  that,  if  it  were  admitted,  it 
was  with  a  supposition  which  affected  both  her  own 
good  name  and  the  rights  of  her  child.  In  those 
days,  America  was  at  the  ends  of  the  earth.  A  war 
with  it  was  imminent.  The  Colonies  might  be  con- 
quered. She  knew  nothing  of  international  rights, 
nor  what  changes  such  a  condition  might  render 
possible.  Hyde  was  the  probable  representative  of 
an  ancient  noble  English  family,  and  its  influence 
was  great :  if  he  really  wished  to  annul  their  mar- 
riage, perhaps  it  was  in  his  power  to  do  so.  She 
knew  well  how  greedy  rank  was  of  rank  and  riches, 
and  she  could  understand  that  there  might  be  pow- 
erful family  reasons  for  an  alliance  which  would  add 
Lady  Suffolk's  wealth  to  the  Hyde  earldom. 

She  was  no  craven,  and  she  faced  the  position  in 
all  its  cruel  bearings.  She  asked  herself,  if,  even  for 
the  sake  of  her  little  Joris,  she  would  remain  a  wife 
on  sufferance,  or  by  the  tie  of  rights  which  she  would 
have  to  legally  enforce;  and  then  she  lifted  the 
candle,  ana  passed  softly  into  his  room  to  look  at 
him.  Though  physically  like  the  large,  fair,  hand- 
some Yan  Heemskirks,  little  Joris  had  certain  tricks 
of  expression,  certain  movements  and  attitudes, 
which  were  the  very  reflection  of  his  father's, — the 
same  smile,  the  same  droop  of  the  hair  on  the  fore- 
head, the  same  careless  toss  of  the  arm  upward  in 
sleep.  It  was  the  father  in  the  son  that  answered 
her  at  that  hour.  She  slipped  down  upon  her  knees 
by  the  sleeping  boy,  and  out  of  the  terror  and  sorrow 
of  her  soul  spoke  to  the  Fatherhood  in  heaven.  Nay, 
but  she  knelt  speechless  and  motionless,  and  waited 
until  He  spoke  to  her;  spoke  to  her  by  the  sweet, 
trustful  little  lips  whose  lightest  touch  was  dear  to 
her.  For  the  boy  suddenly  awoke;  he  flung  his 
arms  around  her  neck,  he  laid  his  face  close  to  hers, 
and  said,— 

"  O  mother,  beautiful  mother,  I  thought  my  father 
was  here !  " 

"  You  have  been  dreaming,  darling  Joris." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  207 

"  Yes ;  I  am  sorry  I  have  been  dreaming.  I 
thought  my  father  was  here, — my  good  father,  that 
loves  us  so  much." 

Then,  with  a  happy  face,  Katherine  rose  and  gave 
the  child  cool  water,  and  turned  his  hot  pillow,  and 
with  kisses  sent  him  smiling  into  dreamland  again. 
In  those  few  tender  moments  all  her  fears  slipped 
away  from  her  heart.  "  I  will  not  believe  what  a 
bad  man  says  against  my  husband, — against  my 
dear  one  who  is  not  here  to  defend  himself.  Lies, 
lies !  I  will  make  the  denial  for  him." 

And  she  kept  within  the  comfort  of  this  spirit, 
even  though  Hyde's  usual  letter  was  three  days  be- 
hind its  usual  time.  Certainly  they  were  hard  days. 
She  kept  busy ;  but  she  could  not  swallow  a  mouth- 
ful of  food,  and  the  sickness  and  despair  that 
crouched  at  the  threshold  of  her  life  made  her  light- 
est duties  so  heavy  that  it  required  a  constant  effort 
and  a  constant  watchfulness  to  fulfil  them.  And 
yet  she  kept  saying  to  herself,  "  All  is  right.  I  shall 
hear  in  a  day  or  two.  There  is  some  change  in  the 
service.  There  is  no  change  in  Eichard, — none." 

On  the  fourth  day,  her  trust  had  its  reward.  She 
found  then  that  the  delay  had  been  caused  by  the 
necessary  charge  and  care  of  ceremonies  which 
Lady  Capel's  death  forced  upon  her  husband.  She 
had  almost  a  sentiment  of  gratitude  to  her,  although 
she  was  yet  ignorant  of  her  bequest  of  eight  thou- 
sand pounds.  For  Hyde  had  resolved  to  wait  until 
the  reading  of  the  will  made  it  certain,  and  then  to 
resign  his  commission,  and  carry  the  double  good 
news  to  Katherine  himself.  Henceforward,  they 
were  to  be  together.  He  would  buy  more  land,  and 
improve  his  estate,  and  live  happily,  away  from  the 
turmoil  of  the  town,  and  the  disagreeable  duties  of 
active  service  in  a  detestable  quarrel.  So  this  pur- 
pose, though  unexpressed,  gave  a  joyous  ring  to  his 
letter;  it  was  lover-like  in  its  fondness  and  hopeful- 
ness, and  Katherine  thought  of  Lady  Suffolk  and 
her  emissary  with  a  contemptuous  indifference. 

"  My  dear  one,  she  intended  that  I  should  make 
miserable  with  reproaches,  and  from  his  own  home 


208  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

drive  him  to  her  home  for  some  consolations ;  "  and 
Katherine  smiled  as  she  reflected  how  hopeless  such 
a  plan  of  separation  would  be. 

Never,  perhaps,  are  we  so  happy,  as  when  we  have 
just  escaped  some  feared  calamity.  That  letter 
lifted  the  last  fear  from  Katherine's  heart,  and  it 
gave  her  also  the  expectation  of  an  early  visit.  "  I 
am  very  impatient  to  see  you,  my  Kate,"  he  wrote ; 
"  and,  as  early  as  possible  after  the  funeral,  you  may 
expect  me."  The  words  rang  like  music  in  her 
heart.  She  read  them  aloud  to  little  Joris,  and  then 
the  whole  household  warmed  to  the  intelligence. 
For  there  was  always  much  pleasant  preparation  for 
Hyde's  visits, — clean  rooms  to  make  still  cleaner, 
silver  to  polish,  dainties  to  cook;  every  weed  to 
take  from  the  garden,  every  unnecessary  straw  from 
the  yards.  For  the  master's  eye,  every  thing  must 
be  beautiful.  To  the  master's  comfort,  every  hand 
was  delighted  to  minister. 

So  these  last  days  of  May  were  wonderfully  happy 
ones  to  -Katherine.  The  house  was  in  its  summer 
draperies, — all  its  windows  open  to  the  garden, 
which  had  now  not  only  the  freshness  of  spring,  but 
the  richer  promise  of  summer.  Katherine  was  al- 
ways dressed  with  extraordinary  care  and  taste. 
Little  Joris  was  always  lingering  about  the  gates 
which  commanded  the  longest  stretch  of  observa- 
tion. A  joyful  "  looking  forward."  was  upon  every 
face. 

Alas,  these  are  the  unguarded  hours  which  sor- 
row surprises!  But  no  thought  of  trouble,  and  no 
fear  of  it,  had  Katherine,  as  she  stood  before  her 
mirror  one  afternoon.  She  was  watching  Lettice 
arrange  the  double  folds  of  her  gray  taffeta  gown,  so 
as  to  display  a  trifle  the  high  scarlet  heels  of  her 
morocco  slippers,  with  their  scarlet  rosettes  and 
small  diamond  buckles. 

"  Too  cold  a  color  is  gray  for  me,  Lettice:  give  me 
those  scarlet  ribbons  for  a  breast  knot;"  and  as 
Lettice  stood  with  her  head  a  little  on  one  side, 
watching  her  mistress  arrange  the  bright  bows  at  her 
stomacher,  there  came  a  knock  at  the  chamber  door. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  209 

"  Here  be  a  strange  gentleman,  madam,  to  see 
you ;  from  London,  he  do  say." 

A  startled  look  came  into  Katherine's  face:  she 
'  dropped  the  ribbon  from  her  hand,  and  turned  to  the 
servant,  who  stood  twisting  a  corner  of  her  apron 
at  the  front-door. 

"  Well,  then,  Jane,  like  what  is  the  stranger  ?  " 

"  He  be  in  soldier's  dress,  madam —  " 

"What?" 

She  asked  no  further  question,  but  went  down- 
stairs ;  and,  as  the  tapping  of  her  heels  was  heard 
upon  them,  Jane  lifted  her  apron  to  her  eyes  and 
whimpered,  "I  think  there  be  trouble;  I  do  that, 
Letty." 

"  About  the  master  ?  " 

"  It  be  like  it.  And  the  man  rides  a  gray  horse 
too.  Drat  the  man,  to  come  with  news  on  a  gray 
horse !  It  be  that  unlucky,  as  no  one  in  their  seven 
senses  would  do  it." 

"For  sure  it  be!  When  I  was  a  young  wench  at 
school — "  And  then,  as  she  folded  up  the  loose 
ribbons,  Letty  told  a  gruesome  story  of  a  farmer 
robbed  and  murdered ;  but,  as  she  came  to  the  part 
the  gray  horse  played  in  it,  Katherine  slowly  walked 
into  the  room,  with  a  letter  in  her  hand.  She  was 
white,  even  to  her  lips ;  and,  with  a  mournful  shake 
of  her  head,  she  motioned  to  the  girls  to  leave  her 
alone.  She  put  the  paper  out  of  her  hand,  and 
stood  regarding  it.  Fully  ten  minutes  elapsed  ere 
she  gathered  strength  sufficient  to  break  its  well- 
known  seal,  and  take  in  the  full  meaning  of  words 
so  full  of  agony  to  her. 

"  It  is  midnight,  beloved  Katherine,  and  in  six 
hours  I  may  be  dead.  Lord  Paget  spoke  of  my 
cousin  to  me  in  such  terms  as  leaves  but  one  way 
out  of  the  affront.  I  pray  you,  if  you  can,  to  pardon 
me.  The  world  will  condemn  me,  my  own  actions 
will  condemn  me ;  and  yet  I  vow  that  you,  and  you 
only,  have  ever  had  my  love.  You  I  shall  adore 
with  my  last  breath.  Kate,  my  Kate,  forgive  me. 
If  this  comes  to  you  by  strange  hands,  I  shall  be 
dead  or  dying.  My  will  and  papers  of  importance 


210  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

are  in  the  drawer  marked  "  B  "  in  my  escritoire. 
Kiss  my  son  for  me,  and  take  my  last  hope  and 
thought." 

These  words  she  read,  then  wrung  her  hands,  and 
moaned  like  a  creature  that  had  been  wounded  to 
death.  Oh  the  shame!  Oh  the  wrong  and  sorrow! 
How  could  she  bear  it  ?  What  should  she  do  ?  Capt. 
Lennox,  who  had  brought  the  letter,  was  waiting 
for  her  dicision.  If  she  would  go  to  her  husband, 
then  he  could  rest  and  return  to  London  at  his 
leisure.  If  not,  Hyde  wanted  his  will,  to  add  a 
codicil  regarding  the  eight  thousand  pounds  left 
him  by  Lady  Capel.  For  he  had  been  wounded  in  his 
side;  and,  a  dangerous  inflammation  having  set  in, 
he  had  been  warned  of  a  possible  fatal  result. 

Katherine  was  not  a  rapid  thinker.  She  had  little, 
either,  of  that  instinct  which  serves  some  women  in- 
stead of  all  other  prudences.  Her  actions  generally 
arose  from  motives  clear  to  her  own  mind,  and  of 
whose  wisdom  or  kindness  she  had  a  conviction. 
But  in  this  hour  so  many  things  appealed  to  her, 
that  she  felt  helpless  and  uncertain.  The  one 
thought  that  dominated  all  others  was  that  her  hus- 
band had  fought  and  fallen  for  Lady  Suffolk.  He 
had  risked  her  happiness  and  welfare,' he  had  forgot- 
ten her  and  his  child,  for  this  woman.  It  was  the 
sequel  to  the  impertinence  of  the  peddler's  visit.  She 
believed  at  that  moment  that  thle.man  had  told  her 
the  truth.  All  these  years  she  had  been  a  slighted 
and  deceived  woman. 

This  idea  once  admitted,  jealousy  of  the  cruellest 
and  most  unreasonable  kind  assailed  her.  Incidents, 
words,  looks,  long  forgotten,  rushed  back  upon  her 
memory,  and  fed  the  flame.  Very  likely,  if  she  left 
her  child  and  went  to  London,  she  might  find  Lady 
Suffold  in  attendance  on  her  husband,  or  at  least  be 
compelled  for  his  life's  sake  to  submit  to  her  visits. 
She  pondered  this  supposition  until  it  brought  forth 
one  still  more  shameful.  Perhaps  the  whole  story 
was  a  scheme  to  get  her  up  to  London.  Perhaps  she 
might  disappear  there.  What,  then,  would  be  done 
to  her  child  ?  If  Eichard  Hyde  was  so"  infatuated 


TEE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  211 

with  Lady  Suffolk,  what  might  he  not  do  to  win  her 
and  her  large  fortune  ?  Even  the  news  of  Lady 
Capel's  death  was  now  food  for  her  suspicions.  Was 
she  dead,  or  was  the  assertion  only  a  part  of  the  con- 
spiracy ?  If  she  had  been  dead,  Sir  Thomas  Swaff- 
ham  would  have  heard  of  the  death;  yet  she  had 
seen  him  that  morning,  and  he  had  made  no  mention 
of  the  circumstance. 

"  To  London  I  will  not  go,"  she  decided.  "  There 
is  some  wicked  plan  for  me.  The  will  and  the  papers 
are  wanted,  that  they  may  be  altered  to  suit  it.  I 
will  stay  here  with  my  child.  Even  sorrow  great  as 
mine  is  best  borne  in  one's  own  home." 

She  went  to  the  escritoire  to  get  the  papers.  When 
she  opened  the  senseless  chamber  of  wood,  she 
found  herself  in  the  presence  of  many  a  torturing, 
tender  memory.  In  one  compartment  there  were  a 
number  of  trout-flies.  She  remembered  the  day  her 
husband  had  made  them, — a  long,  rainy,  happy  day 
during  his  last  visit.  Every  time  she  passed' him, 
he  drew  her  face  down  to  kiss  it.  And  she  could 
hear  little  Joris  talking  about  the  work,  and  his 
father's  gay  laughter  at  the  child's  remarks.  In  an 
open  slide, "there  was  a  rude  picture  of  a  horse.  It 
was  the  boy's  first  attempt  to  draw  Mephisto,  and  it 
had  been  carefully  put  away.  The  place  was  full  of 
such  appeals.  Katherine  rarely  wept ;  but,  standing 
before  these  mementos,  her  eyes  filled,  and  with  a 
sob  she  clasped  her  hands  across  them,  as  if  the 
sight  of  such  tokens  from  a  happy  past  was  intoler- 
able. 

Drawer  B  was  a  large  compartment  full  of  papers 
and  of  Hyde's  personal  treasures.  Among  them 
was  a  ring  that  his  father  had  given  him,  his 
mother's  last  letter,  a  lock  of  his  son  s  hair,  her  own 
first  letter," — the  shy,  anxious  note  that  she  wrote 
to  Mrs.  Gordon.  She  looked  sadly  at  these  things, 
and  thought  how  valueless  all  had  become  to  him  at 
that  hour.  Then  she  began  to  arrange  the  papers 
according  to  their  size,  and  a  small  sealed  parcel 
slipped  from  among  them.  She  lifted  it,  and  saw  a 
rhyme  in  her  husband's  writing  on  the  outside,— 


212  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"Oh,  ray  love,  ray  love  !    This  thy  gift  I  hold 
More  than  fame  or  treasure,  more  than  life  or  gold." 

It  had  evidently  been  sealed  within  a  few  months, 
for  it  was  in  a  kind  of  bluish-tinted  paper  which 
Hycle  bought  in  Lynn  one  day  during  the  past 
winter.  She  turned  it  over  and  over  in  her  hand, 
and  the  temptation  to  see  the  love-token  inside  be- 
came greater  every  moment.  This  was  a  thing  her 
husband  had  never  designed  any  human  eye  but  his 
own  to  see.  Whatever  revelation  there  was  in  it, 
much  or  little,  would  be  true.  Tortured  by  doubt 
and  despair,  she  felt  that  impulse  to  rely  on' chance 
for  a  decision  which  all  have  experienced  in  matters 
of  grave  moment,  apparently  beyond  natural  eluci- 
dation. 

"If  in  this  parcel  there  is  some  love-pledge  from 
Lady  Suffolk,  then  I  go  not ;  nothing  shall  make  me 
go.  If  in  it  there  is  no  word  of  her,  no  message  to 
her  or  from  her;  if  her  name  is  not  there,  nor  the 
letters  of  her  name, — then  I  will  go  to  my  own.  A 
new  love,  one  not  a  year  old,  I  can  put  aside.  I  will 
forgive  every  one  but  my  Lady  Suffolk." 

S'o  Katherine  decided  as  she  broke  the  seal  with 
firmness  and  rapidty.  The  first  paper  within  the 
cover  made  her  tremble.  It  was  a  half  sh^et  which 
she  had  taken  one  day  from  Brain's  hand,  and  it 
had  Bram's  name  across  it.  On  it  she  had  written 
the  first  few  lines  which  she  had  had  the  right  to 
sign  "Katherine  Hyde."  It  was","'  indeed,  her  first 
"wife"  letter;  and  within  it  was  the  precious  love- 
token,  her  own  love-token, — the  bow  of  orange  ribbon. 

She  gave  a  sharp  cry  as  it  fell  upon  the  desk ;  and 
then  she  lifted  and  'kissed  it,  and  held  it  to  her 
breast,  as  she  rocked  herself  to  and  fro  in  a  passion- 
ate transport  of  triumphant  love.  Again  and  again 
she  fed  her  eyes  upon  it.  She  recalled  the  night  she 
wore  it  first,  and  the  touch  of  her  mother's  fingers 
as  she  fastened  it  at  her  throat.  She  recalled  her 
father's  happy  smile  of  proud  admiration  for  her ;  the 
afternoon,  next,  when  she  had  stood  with  Joanna  at 
the  foot  of  the  garden  and  seen  her  lover  wearing  it 
on  his  breast.  She  remembered  what  she  had  heard 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  213 

about  the  challenge,  and  the  desperate  fight,  and 
the  intention  of  Semple's  servant  to  remove  the 
token  from  her  senseless  lover's  breast,  and  her 
father's  noble  interference.  The  bit  of  fateful  ribbon 
had  had  a  strange  history,  yet  she  had  forgotten  it. 
It  was  her  husband  who  had  carefully  sealed  it  away 
among  the  things  most  precious  to  his  heart  and 
house.  It  still  kept  much  of  its  original  splendid 
color,  but  it  was  stained  down  all  its  length  with 
blood.  Nothing  that  Hyde  could  have  done,  no 
words  that  he  could  have  said,  would  have  been  so 
potent  to  move  her. 

"  I  will  give  it  to  him  again.  With  my  own  hands 
I  will  give  it  to  him  once  more.  O  Richard,  my 
lover,  my  husband!  Now  I  will  hasten  to  see  thee." 

With  relays  at  every  post-house,  she  reached  Lon- 
don the  next  night,  and,  weary  and  terrified,  drove 
at  once  to  the  small  hostlery  where  Hyde  lay.  There 
was  a  soldier  sitting  outside  his  chamber-door,  but 
the  wounded  man  was  quite  alone  when  Katherine 
entered.  She  took  in  at  a  glance  the  bare,  comfort- 
less room,  scarcely  lit  by  the  sputtering  rush  candle, 
and  the  rude  bed,  and  the  burning  cheeks  of  the 
fevered  man  upon  it. 

"Katherine!"  he  cried;  and  his  voice  was  as 
weak  and  as  tearful  as  that  of  a  troubled  child. 

"Here  come  I,  my  dear  one." 

"  I  do  not  deserve  it.  I  have  been  so  wicked,  and 
you  my  good  pure  wife." 

"See,  then,  I  have  had  no  temptations,  but  thou 
hast  lived  in  the  midst  of  great  ones.  Then,  how 
natural  and  how  easy  was  it  for  thee  to  do  wrong!  " 

"  Oh,  how  you  love  me,  Katherine!  " 

"  God  knows." 

"  And  for  this  wrong  you  will  not  forsake  me  ?  " 

She  took  from  her  bosom  the  St.  Nicholas  ribbon. 
"  I  give  it  to  thee  again.  At  the  first  time  I  loved 
thee ;  now,  my  husband,  ten  thousand  times  more  I 
love  thee.  As  I  went  through  the  papers,  I  found  it. 
So  much  it  said  to  me  of  thy  true  love !  Sp  sweetly 
for  thee  it  pleaded !  All  that  it  asks  for  thee,  I  give. 
All  that  thou  hast  done  wrong  to  me,  it  forgives." 


214  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

And  between  their  clasped  hands  it  lay,— the  bit  of 
orange  ribbon  that  had  handseled  all  their  happi- 
ness. 

"It  is  the  promise  of  every  thing  I  can  give  thee, 
my  loved  one,"  whispered  Katherine. 

"It  is  the  luck  of  Kichard  Hyde.  Dearest  wife, 
thou  hast  given  me  my  life  back  again." 


CHAPTEE  XV. 

TURNING  WESTWARD. 

"Wise  men  ne'er  sit  and  wail  their  woes, 
But  presently  prevent  the  ways  to  wail." 

"Thrice  is  he  armed  that  hath  his  quarrel  just; 
And  he  but  naked,  though  locked  up  in  steel, 
Whose  conscience  with  injustice  is  corrupted." 

"Let  determined  things  to  destiny 
Hold  unbewailed  their  way." 

IT  was  a  hot  August  afternoon ;  and  the  garden  at 
Hyde  Manor  was  full  of  scent  in  all  its  shady  places, 
— hot  lavender,  seductive  carnajum,  the  secretive 
intoxication  of  the  large  white  lilies,  and  mingling 
with  them  the  warm  smell  of  ripe  fruits  from  the 
raspberry  hedges,  and  the  apricots  and  plums  turn- 
ing gold  and  purple  upon  the  southern  walls. 

Hyde  sat  at  an  open  window,  breathing  the  balmy 
air,  and  basking  in  the  light  and  heat,  which  really 
came  to  him  with  "healing  on  their  wings."  He 
was  pale  and  wasted  from  his  long  sickness;  but 
there  was  speculation  and  purpose  in  his  face,  and 
he  had  evidently  cast  away  the  mental  apathy  of  the 
invalid.  As  he  sat  thus,  a  servant  entered  and  said 
a  few  words  which  made  him  turn  with  a  glad,  ex- 
pectant manner  to  the  open  door;  and,  as  he  did  so, 
a  man  of  near  sixty  years  of  age  passed  through  it,— 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  215 

a  handsome,  lordly-looking  man,  who  had  that 
striking  personal  resemblance  to  Hyde  which  affec- 
tionate brothers  often  have  to  one  another. 

"Faith,  William,  you  are  welcome  home!  I  am 
most  glad  to  see  you." 

"Sit  still,  Dick.  You  sad  rascal,  you've  been 
playing  with  cold  steel  again,  I  hear!  Can't  you  let 
it  alone,  at  your  age  ?  " 

"  Why,  then,  it  was  my  business,  as  you  know, 
sir.  My  dear  William,  how  delighted  I  am  to  see 
you!" 

"  'Tis  twelve  years  since  we  met,  Dick.  You  have 
been  in-  America ;  I  have  been  everywhere.  I  con- 
fess, too,  I  am  amazed  to  hear  of  your  marriage. 
And  Hyde  Manor  is  a  miracle.  T  expected  to  find  it 
mouldy  and  mossy, — a  haunt  for  frogs  and  fever. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  a  place  of  perfect  beauty." 
•"  And  it  is  all  my  Katherine's  doing." 

"  I  hear  that  she  is  Dutch ;  and,  beyond  a  doubt, 
that  people  have  a  genius  that  develops  in  low  lands. " 

"She  is  my  angel.  I  am  unworthy  of  her  good- 
ness and  beauty. 

"Why,  then,  Dick,  I  never  saw  you  before  in  such 
a  proper  mood ;  and  I  may  «.s  well  tell  you,  while 
you  are  in  it,  that  I  have  also  found  a  treasure  past 
belief  of  the  same  kind.  In  fact,  Dick,  I  am  married, 
and  have  two  sons." 

There  was  a  moment's  profound  silence,  and  an 
*  inexplicable  shadow  passed  rapidly  over  Hyde's  face ; 
but  it  was  fleeting  as  a  thought,  and,  ere  the  pause 
became  strained  and  painful,  he  turned  to  his  brother 
and  said,  "  I  am  glad,  William.  With  all  my  heart, 
I  am  glad." 

"Indeed,  Dick,  when  Emily  Capel  died,  I  was  sin- 
cere in  my  purpose  never  to  marry;  and  I  looked 
upon  you  always  as  the  future  earl,  until  one  night 
in  Rome,  in  a  moment,  the  thing  was  altered." 

"I  can  understand  that,  William." 

"  I  was  married  very  quietly,  and  have  been  in 
Italy  ever  since.  Only  four  days  have  elapsed  since 
I  returned  to  England.  My  first  inquiries  were 
about  you." 


216  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

''I  pray  you,  do  not  believe  all  that  my  enemies 
will  say  of  me." 

"  Among  other  things,  I  was  told  that  you  had  left 
the  army." 

"That  is  exactly  true.  When  I  heard  that  Lord 
Percy's  regiment  "was  designed  for  America,  and 
against  the  Americans,  I  put  it  out  of  the  king's 
power  to  send  me  on  such  a  business." 

"Indeed,  I  think  the  Americans  have  been  ill- 
used  ;  and  I  find  the  town  in  a  great  commotion 
upon  the  matter.  The  night  I  landed,  there  had 
come  bad  news  from  New  York.  The  people  of  that 
city  have  burned  effigies  of  Lord  North  and  Gov. 
Hutchinson,  and  the  new  troops  were  no  sooner 
landed  than  five  hundred  of  them  deserted  in  a  body. 
At  White's  it  was  said  that  the  king  fell  into  a  fit  of 
crying  when  the  intelligence  was  brought  him." 

Hyde's  white  face  was  crimson  with  excitement, 
and  his  eyes  glowed  like  stars  as  he  listened.  "That 
was  like  New  York ;  and,  faith,  if  I  had  been  there,  I 
would  have  helped  them !  " 

"Why  not  go  there?  I  owe  you  much  for  the 
hope,  of  which  my  happiness  has  robbed  you.  I  will 
take  Hyde  Manor  at  its  highest  price ;  I  will  add  to 
it  fifty  thousand  pounds  indemnity  for  the  loss  of 
the  succession.  You  may  buy  land  enough  for  a 
duchy  there,  and  found  in  the  New  World  a  new 
line  of  the  old  family.  If  there, is  war,  you  have 
your  opportunity.  If  the  colonists  win  their  way, 
your  family  and  means  will  make  you  a  person  of 
great  consideration.  Here,  you  can  only  be  a  mem- 
ber of  the  family ;  in  America,  you  can  be  the  head 
of  your  own  line.  Dick,  my  dear  brother,  out  of  real 
love  and  honor,  I  speak  these  words." 

"  Indeed,  William,  I  am  very  sensible  of  your 
kindness,  and  I  will  consider  well  your  proposition ; 
for  you  must  know  it  is  a  matter  of  some  conse- 
quence to  me  now.  I  think,  indeed,  that  my  Kath- 
erine  will  be  in  a  transport  of  delight  to  return  to 
her  native  land.  I  hear  her  coming,  and  we  will 
talk  with  her;  and,  anon,  you  shall  confess,  William, 
that  you  have  seen  the  sweetest  woman  that  ever 
the  sun  shone  upon." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON'  217 

Almost  with  the  words  she  entered,  clothed  in  a 
white  India  muslin,  with  carnations  at  her  breast. 
Her  high-heeled  shoes,  her  large  hoop,  and  the 
height  to  which  her  pale  gold  hair  was  raised,  gave 
to  the  beautiful  woman  an  air  of  majesty  that 
amazed  the  earl.  He  bowed  low,  and  then  kissed 
her  cheeks,  and  led  her  to  a  chair,  which  he  placed 
between  Hyde  and  himself. 

Of  course,  the  discussion  of  the  American  project 
was  merely  opened  at  that  time.  English  people, 
even  at  this  day,  move  only  after  slow  and  prudent 
deliberation ;  and  then  emigration  was  almost  an  ir- 
revocable action.  Katherine  was  predisposed  to  it, 
but  yet  she  dearly  loved  the  home  she  had  made  so 
beautiful.  During  Hyde's  convalescence,  also,  other 
plans  had  been  made  and  talked  over  until  they  had 
become  very  hopeful  and  pleasant ;  and  they  could 
not  be  cast  aside  without  some  reluctance.  In  fact, 
the  purpose  grew  slowly,  but  surely,  all  through  the 
following  winter;  being  mainly  fed  by  Katherine's 
loving  desire  to  be  near  to  her  parents,  and  by 
Hyde's  unconfessed  desire  to  take  part  in  the  strug- 
gle which  he  foresaw,  and  which  had  his  warmest 
sympathy.  Every  American  letter  strengthened 
these  feelings ;  but  the  question  was  finally  settled — 
as  many  an  important  event  in  every  life  is  settled — 
by  a  person  totally  unknown  to  both  Katherine  and 
Hyde. 

It  was  on  a  cold,  stormy  afternoon  in  February, 
when  the  fens  were  white  with  snow.  Hyde  sat  by 
the  big  wood-fire,  re-reading  a  letter  from  Joris  Van 
Heemskirk,  which  also  enclosed  a  copy  of  Josiah 
Quincy's  speech  on  the  Boston  Port  Bill.  Katherine 
had  a  piece  of  worsted  work  in  her  hands.  Little 
Joris  was  curled  up  in  a  big  chair  with  his  book, 
seeing  nothing  of  the  present,  only  conscious  of  the 
gray,  bleak  waves  of  the  English  Channel,  and  the 
passionate  Blake  bearing  down  upon  Tromp  and  De 
Euyter. 

"  What  a  battle  that  would  be !  "  he  said,  jumping 
to  his  feet.  "  Father,  I  wish  that  I  had  lived  a  hun- 
dred years  ago." 


218  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  George  ?  " 

"Listen,  then:  'Eighty  sail  put  to  sea  under 
Blake.  Tromp  and  De  Euyter,  with  seventy-six 
sail,  were  seen,  upon  the  18th  of  February,  escorting 
three  hundred  merchant-ships  up  the  channel. 
Three  days  of  desperate  fighting  ensued,  and  Tromp 
acquired  prodigious  honor  by  this  battle;  for, 
though  defeated,  he  saved  nearly  the  whole  of  his 
immense  convoy.'  I  wish  I  had  been  with  Tromp, 
father." 

"But  an  English  boy  should  wish  to  have  been 
with  Blake." 

"  Tromp  had  the  fewest  vessels.  One  should  al- 
ways help  the  weakest  side,  father.  And,  besides, 
you  know  I  am  half  Dutch." 

Katherine  looked  proudly  at  the  boy,  but  Hyde 
had  a  long  fit  of  musing.  "  Yes,"  he  answered  at 
length,  "a  brave  man  always  helps  those  who  need 
it  most.  Your  father's  letter,  Katherine,  stirs  me 
wonderfully.  Those  Americans  show  the  old  Saxon 
love  of  liberty.  Hear  how  one  of  them  speaks  for 
his  people:  'Blandishments  will  not  fascinate  us, 
nor  will  threats  of  a  halter  intimidate.  For,  under 
God,  we  are  determined  that  wheresoever,  whenso- 
ever, or  howsoever  we  shall  be  called  to  make  our 
exit,  we  will  die  free  men.'*  Such  men  ought  to  be 
free,  Katherine,  and  they  will  be  free." 

It  was  at  this  moment  Lettice  came  in  with  a  bun- 
dle of  newspapers  :  "  They  be'  brought  by  Sir 
Thomas  Swaffham's  man,  sir,  with  Sir  Thomas's 
compliments ;  there  being  news  he  thinks  you  would 
like  to  read,  sir." 

Katherine  turned  promptly.  "Spiced  ale  and 
bread  and  meat  give  to  the  man,  Lettice ;  and  to  Sir 
Thomas  and  Lady  Swaffham  remind  him  to  take 
,our  respectful  thanks." 

Hyde  opened  .the  papers  with  eager  curiosity. 
Little  Joris  was  again  with  Tromp  and  Blake  in  the 
channel ;  and  Katherine,  remembering  some  house- 
hold duty,  left  the  father  and  son  to  their  private 
enthusiasms.  She  was  restless  and  anxious,  for  she 

*  Josiah  Quincy's  (jun.)  speech  on  the  Boston  Port  Bill,  1774. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  219 

had  one  of  those  temperaments  that  love  a  settled 
and  orderly  life.  It  would  soon  be  spring,  and  there 
were  a  thousand  things  about  the  house  and  garden 
which  would  need  her  attention  if  they  were  to  re- 
main at  Hyde.  If  not,  her  anxieties  in  other  direc- 
tions would  be  equally  numerous  and  necessary. 
She  stood  at  a  window  looking  into  the  white  gar- 
den. Something  about  it  recalled  her  father's  gar- 
den ;  and  she  fell  into  such  a  train  of  tender  mem- 
ories, that,  when  Hyde  called  quickly,  "  Kate,  Kate !  " 
she  found  that  there  were  tears  in  ner  eyes,  and  that 
it  was  with  an  effort  and  a  sigh  her  soul  returned  to 
its  present  surroundings. 

Hyde  was  walking  about  the  room  in  great  excite- 
ment,— his  tall,  nervous  figure  unconsciously  throw-, 
ing  itself  into  soldierly  attitudes;  his  dark,  hand- 
some face  lit  by  an  interior  fire  of  sympathetic  feel- 
ing. 

"  I  must  draw  my  sword  agkin,  Katherine,"  he 
said,  as  his  hand  impulsively  went  to  his  left  side, 
"I  must  draw  my  sword  again.  I  thought  I  had 
done  with  it  forever;  but,  by  St.  George,  I'll  draw  it 
in  this  quarrel!  " 

"  The  American  quarrel,  Richard  ?  " 

"  No  other  could  so  move  me.  "We  have  the  intel- 
ligence now  of  their  congress.  They  have  not  sub- 
mitted ;  they  have  not  drawn  back,  not  an  inch ; 
they  have  not  quarreled  among  themselves.  They 
have  unanimously  voted  for  non-importation,  non- 
exportation,  and  non-consumption.  They  have 
drawn  up  a  declaration  of  their  rights.  They  have 
appealed  to  the  sympathies  of  the  people  of  Canada, 
and  they  have  resolved  to  support  by  arms  all  their 
brethren  unlawfully  attacked.  Hurrah,  Katherine! 
Every  good  man  and  true  wishes  them  well." 

"  But  it  is  treason,  dear  one." 

"  Soh !  It  was  treason  when  the  barons  forced  the 
Great  Charter  from  King  John.  It  was  treason 
when  Hampden  fought  against  'ship-money,'  and 
Cromwell  against  Star  Chambers,  and  the  Dutch- 
man William  laid  his  firm  hand  on  the  British  Con- 
stitution. All  revolutions  are  treason  until  they  are 


220  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON, 

accomplished.  We  have  long  hesitated,  \\e  will 
waver  no  more.  The  conduct  of  Sir  Jeffery  Amherst 
has  decided  me." 

"I  know  it  not.'* 

"  On  the  6th  of  this  month  the  king  offered  him 
a  peerage  if  he  would  take  command  of  the  troops 
for  America;  and  he  answered,  'Your  Majesty  must 
know  that  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  fight  the  Amer- 
icans, who  are  not  only  of  my  own  race,  but  to  whose 
former  kindness  I  am  also  much  obliged.'  By  the 
last  mail,  also,  accounts  have  come  of  vast  deser- 
tions of  the  soldiers  of  Boston ;  and  three  officers 
of  Lord  Percy's  regiment  are  among  the  number. 
Katherine,  our  boy  has  told  me  this  afternoon  that 
he  is  half  Dutch.  "Why  should  we  stay  in  England, 
then,  for  his  sake  ?  We  will  do  as  Earl  William  ad- 
vises us, — go  to  America  and  found  a  new  house,  of 
which  I  and  he  will  be  the  heads.  Are  you  will- 
ing?" 

"  Only  to  be  with  you,  only  to  please  you,  Richard. 
I  have  no  other  happiness." 

"  Then  it  is  settled ;  and  I  thank  Sir  Jeffery  Am- 
herst, for  his  words  have  made  me  feel  ashamed  of 
my  indecision.  And  look  you,  dear  Kate,  there  shall 


i  you  be  ready  ] 

"  You  are  too  impatient,  Richard.  In  a  week  it  is 
impossible." 

"  Then  in  two  weeks.  In  short,  my  dear,  I  have 
taken  an  utter  aversion  to  being  longer  in  King 
George's  land." 

"  Poor  king !  Lady  Swaffham  says  he  means  well : 
he  misunderstands,  he  makes  mistakes." 

"And  political  mistakes  are  crimes,  Katherine. 
Write  to-night  to  your  father.  Tell  him  that  we 
are  coming  in  two  weeks  to  cast  our  lot  with  America. 
Upon  my  honor,  I  am  impatient  to  be  away." 

When  Joris  Van  Heeinskirk  received  this  letter, 
he  was  very  much  excited  by  its  contents.  Putting 
aside  his  joy  at  the  return  of  his  beloved  daughter, 
he  perceived  that  the  hour  expected  for  years  had 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  221 

really  struck.  The  true  sympathy  that  had  been  so 
long  in  his  heart,  he  must  now  boldly  express;  and 
this  meant  in  all  probability  a  rapture  with  most  of 
his  old  associates  and  friends, — Elder  Semple  in  the 
kirk,  and  the  Matthews  and  Crugers  and  Baches  in 
the  council. 

He  was  sitting  in  the  calm  evening,  with  unloos- 
ened buckles,  in  a  cloud  of  fragrant  tobacco,  talking 
of  these  things.  "  It  is  full  time,  come  what  will," 
said  Lysbet.  "  Heard  thou  what  Batavius  said  last 
night?" 

"  Little  I  listen  to  Batavius." 

"  But  this  was  a  wise  word.  IThe  colonists  are 
leaving  the  old  ship,'  he  said;  'and  the  first  in  the 
new  boat  will  have  the  choice  of  oars.'  " 

"  That  was  like  Batavius,  but  I  will  take  higher 
counsel  than  his." 

Then  he  rose,  put  on  his  hat,  and  walked  down 
his  garden ;  and,  as  he  slowly  paced  between  the 
beds  of  budding  flowers,  he  thought  of  many  things, 
— the  traditions  of  the  past  struggles  for  freedom, 
and  the  irritating  wrongs  that  had  imbittered  his 
own  experience  for  ten  years.  There  was  plenty 
of  life  yet  in  the  spirit  hfs  fathers  had  bequeathed 
to  him ;  and,  as  this  and  that  memory  of  wrong 
smote  it,  the  soul-fire  kindled,  glowed,  burned  with 
passionate  flame.  "Free,  God  gave  us  this  fair 
land,  and  we  will  keep  it  free.  There  has  been  in 
it  no  crowns  and  sceptres,  no  bloody  Philips,  no 
priestly  courts  of  cruelty;  and,  in  God's  name,  we 
will  have  none!  " 

He  was  standing  on  the  river-bank;  and  the 
meadows  over  it  were  green  and  fair  to  see,  and  the 
fresh  wind  blew  into  his  soul  a  thought  of  its  own 
untrammelled  liberty.  He  looked  up  and  down  the 
river,  and  lifted  his  face  to  the  clear  sky,  and  said 
aloud,  "Beautiful  land!  To  be  thy  children  we 
should  not  deserve,  if  one  inch  of  thy  soil  we  yielded 
to  a  tyrant.  Truly  a  vaderland  to  me  and  to  mine 
thou  hast  been.  Truly  do  I  love  thee."  And  then, 
his  soul  being  moved  to  its  highest  mark,  he  an- 
swered it  tenderly,  in  the  strong-syllabled  mother- 
tongue  that  it  knew  so  well, — 


222  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  Indien  ik  u  vergeet,  o  Yaderland !  zoo  vergete 
mijne  regter-hand  zich  zelve !  " 

Such  communion  he  held  with  himself  until  the 
night  came  on,  and  the  dew  began  to  fall;  and 
Lysbet  said  to  herself,  "  I  will  walk  down  the  gar- 
den :  perhaps  there  is  something  I  can  say  to  him." 
As  she  rose,  Joris  entered,  and  they  met  in  the 
centre  of  the  room.  He  put  his  large  hands  upon 
her  shoulders,  and,  looking  solemnly  in  her  face, 
said,  "  My  Lysbet,  I  will  go  with  the  people ;  I  will 
give  myself  willingly  to  the  cause  of  freedom.  A 
long  battle  is  it.  Two  hundred  years  ago,  a  Joris 
Van  Heemskirk  was  fighting  in  it.  Not  less  of  man 
than  he  was,  am  I,  I  hope." 

There  was  a  mist  of  tears  over  his  eyes,— a  mist 
that  was  no  dishonor :  it  only  showed  that  the  cost 
had  been  fully  counted,  and  his  allegiance  given 
with  a  clear  estimate  of  the  value  and  sweetness  of 
all  that  he  might  have  to  give  with  it.  Lysbet  was 
a  little  awed  by  the  solemnity  of  his  manner.  She 
had  not  before  understood  tne  grandeur  of  such  a 
complete  surrender  of  self  as  her  husband  had  just 
consummated.  But  never  had  she  been  so  proud  of 
him.  Every  thing  commonplace  had  slipped  away : 
he  looked  taller,  younger,  handsomer.  She  dropped 
her  knitting  to  her  feet,  she  put  her  arms 
around  his  neck,  and,  laying  her  head  upon  his 
breast,  said  softly,  "My  good  Jpris!  I  will  love 
thee  forever." 

In  a  few  minutes  Elder  Semple  came  in.  He 
looked  exceedingly  worried ;  and,  although  Joris 
and  he  avoided  politics  by  a  kind  of  tacit  agreement, 
he  could  not  keep  to  kirk  and  commercial  matters, 
but  constantly  returned  to  one  subject, — a  vessel 
lying  at  Murray's  Wharf,  which  had  sold  her  cargo 
of  molasses  and  rum  to  the  "  Committee  of  Safety." 

"  And  we'll  be  haeing  the  custom-house  about  the 
city's  ears,  if  there's  '  safety '  in  that, — the  born 
idiots,"  he  said. 

Joris  was  in  that  grandly  purposeful  mood  that 

*  If  I  forget  thee,  O  Fatherland !  let  ray  right  hand  forget  her 
cunning.— Ps.  cxxxvii.  5. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  223 

takes  no  heed  of  fretful  worries.  He  let  the  elder 
drift  from  one  grievance  to  another;  and  he  was 
just  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence  containing  his 
opinion  of  Sears  and  Willet,  when  Bram's  entrance 
arrested  it.  There  was  something  in  the  young 
man's  face  and  attitude  which  made  every  one  turn 
to  him.  He  walked  straight  to  the  side  of  Joris, — 

"  Father,  we  have  closed  his  Majesty's  custom- 
house forever.'' 

"  We !    Who,  then,  Bram  ? 5J 

"  The  Committee  of  Safety  and  the  Sons  of  Lib- 
erty." 

Semple  rose  to  his  feet,  trembling  with  passion. 
'*  Let  me  tell  you,  then,  Bram,  you  are  a  parcel  o' 
rogues  and  rebels;  and,  if  I  were  his  Majesty,  I'd. 
gibbet  the  last  ane  o'  you." 

"  Patience,  elder.    Sit  down,  I'll  speak— " 

"No,  councillor,  I'll  no  sit  down  until  I  ken  what 
kind  o'  men  I'm  sitting  wi'.  Got  wi'  your  maist- 
secret  thoughts.  Wha  are  you  for  ?  " 

"  For  the  people  and  for  freedom,  am  I,"  said 
Joris,  calmly  rising  to  his  feet.  "  Too  long  have  we 
borne  injustice.  My  fathers  would  have  spoken  by 
the  sword  before  this.  Free  kirk,  free  state,  free 
commerce,  are  the  breath  of  our  nostrils.  Not  a 
king  on  earth  our  privileges  and  rights  shall  touch ; 
no,  not  with  his  finger-tips.  Bram,  my  son,  I  am 
your  comrade  in  this  quarrel."  He  spoke  with  fer- 
vent, but  not  rapid  speech,  and  with  a  firm,  round 
voice,  full  of  magical  sympathies. 

"  I'll  hear  nae  mair  o'  such  folly. — Gie  me  my  bon- 
net and  plaid,  madam,  and  I'll  be  going. — The  King 
o'  England  needna  ask  his  Dutch  subjects  for  leave 
to  wear  his  crown,  I'm  thinking." 

"Subjects!"  said  Bram,  flashing  up.  "Subjec* 
tion!  Well,  then,  elder,  Dutchmen  don't  understand 
the  word.  Spain  found  that  out." 

"  Hoots !  dinna  look  sae  far  back,  Bram.  It's  a  far 
cry,  to  Alva  and  Philip.  Hae  you  naething  fresher  ? 
Gude-night,  a'.  I  hope  the  morn  will  bring  you  a 
measure  o' common-sense."  He  was  at  the  door  as 
he  spoke ;  but,  ere  he  passed  it,  he  lifted  his  bonnet 


224  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

above  his  head  and  said,  "God  save  the  king!  God 
save  his  gracious  Majesty,  George  of  England !  " 

Joris  turned  to  his  son.  To  shut  up  the  king's 
customs,  was  an  overt  act  of  treason.  Bram,  then, 
had  fully  committed  himself;  and,  following  out  his 
own  thoughts,  he  asked  abruptly,  "What  will  come 
of  it,  Bram  ?  " 

"  War  will  come,  and  liberty, — a  great  common- 
wealth, a  great  country." 

"  It  was  about  the  sloop  at  Murray's  Wharf  ?  " 

"  Yes.  To  the  Committee  of  Safety  her  cargo  she 
sold  ;  but  Collector  Cruger  would  not  that  it  should 
leave  the  vessel,  although  offered  was  the  full 
duty." 

"  For  use  against  the  king,  were  the  goods ;  then 
Cruger,  as  a  servant  of  King  George,  did  right." 

"  Oh,  but  if  a  tyrant  a  man  serves,  we  cannot  suf- 
fer wrong  that  a  good  servant  he  maybe!  King 
George  through  him  refused  the  duty:  no  more  du- 
ties will  we  offer  him.  We  have  boarded  up  the 
doors  and  windows  of  the  custom-house.  Collector 
Oruger  has  a  long  holiday." 

He  did  not  speak  lightly,  and  his  air  was  that  of  a 
man  who  accepts  a  grave  responsibility.  "I  met 
Sears  and  about  thirty  men  with  him  on  Wall  Street. 
I  went  with  them,  thinking  well  on  what  I  was  go- 
ing to  do.  I  am  ready  by  the  deed  to  stand." 

"  And  I  with  thee.  Good-night,  Bram.  To-mor- 
row there  will  be  more  to  say." 

Then  Bram  drew  his  chair  to  the  hearth,  and  his 
mother  began  to  question  him ;  and  her  fine  face 
grew  finer  as  she  listened  to  the  details  of  the  ex- 
ploit. Bram  looked  at  her  proudly.  "  I  wish  only 
that  a  fort  full  of  soldiers  and  cannon  it  had  been," 
he  said.  "  It  does  not  seem  such  a  fine  thing  to 
take  a  few  barrels  of  rum  and  molasses." 

"Every  common  thing  is  a  fine  thing  when  it  is 
for  justice.  And  a  fine  thing  I  think  it  was  for  these 
men  to  lay  down  every  one  his  work  and  his  tool, 
and  quietly  and  orderly  go  do  the  work  that  was  to 
be  done  for  honor  and  for  freedom.  If  there  had 
been  flying  colors  and  beating  drums,  and  much 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  225 

bloodvspilt,  no  grander  thing  would  it  have  been,  I 
think." 

And,  as  Bram  filled  and  lighted  his  pipe,  he 
hummed  softly  the  rallying  song  of  the  day, — 

"  In  story  we're  told 

How  our  fathers  of  old 
Braved  the  rage  of  the  winds  and  the  waves  ; 
And  crossed  the  deep  o'er, 
For  this  far-away  shore, 

All  because  they  would  never  be  slaves— brave  boys ! 
All  because  they  would  never  be  slaves. 

"The  birthright  we  hold 

Shall  never  be  sold. 
But  sacred  maintained  to  our  graves  ; 
And  before  we  comply 
We  will  gallantly  die, 

For  we  will  not,  we  will  not  be  slaves,— brave  boys ! 
For  we  will  not,  we  will  not  be  slaves." 

In  the  mean  time  Semple,  fuming  and  ejaculating, 
was  making  his  way  slowly  home.  It  was  a  dark 
night,  and  the  road  full  of  treacherous  soft  places, 
fatal  to  that  spotless  condition  of  hose  and  shoes 
which  was  one  of  his  weak  points.  However,  before 
he  had  gone  very  far,  he  was  overtaken  by  his  son 
Neil,  now  a  very  staid  and  stately  gentleman,  hold- 
ing under  the  government  a  high  legal  position  in 
the  investigation  of.  the  disputed  New-Hampshire 
grants. 

He  listened  respectfully  to  his  father's  animadver- 
sions on  the  folly  of  the  Van  Heemskirks ;  but  he 
was  thinking  mainly  of  the  first  news  told  him, — 
the  early  return  of  Katherine.  He  was  conscious 
that  he  still  loved  Katherine,  and  that  he  still  hated 
Hyde.  As  they  approached  the  house,  the  elder  saw 
the  gleam  of  a  candle  through  the  drawn  blind ;  and 
he  asked  querulously,  "  What's  your  mother  doing 
wi'  a  candle  at  this  hour,  I  wonder  ?  " 

"She'll  be  sewing  or  reading,  father." 

"Hoots!  she  should  aye  mak' the  wark  and  the 
hour  suit.  There's  spinning  and  knitting  for  the 
night-time.  Wi'  soldiers  quartered  to  the  right 
hand  and  the  left  hand,  and  a  civil  war  staring  us  in 


226  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

the  face,  it's  neither  tallow  nor  wax  we'll  hae  to 
spare." 

He  was  climbing  the  pipe-clayed  steps  as  he  spoke, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  was  standing  face  to  face  with 
the  offender.  Madam  Semple  was  reading;  and,  as 
her  husband  opened  the  parlor-door,  she  lifted  her 
eyes  from  her  book,  and  let  them  calmly  rest  upon 
him. 

"Fire-light  and  candle-light,  baith,  Janet!  A 
fair  illumination,  and  nae  ither  thing  but  bad  news 
of  it." 

"I'm  reading  the  Word,  elder." 

"  For  the  night  season,  meditation,  Janet,  medita- 
tion ; "  and  he  lifted  the  extinguisher,  and  put  out 
the  candle.  "  Meditate  on  what  you  hae  read.  The 
Word  will  bide  a  deal  o'  thinking  about.  You'll  hae 
heard  the  ill  news  ?  " 

'  I  heard  naething  ill." 

'DidnaNeil  tell  you  ?  " 

*  Anent  what  ?  " 

'  The  closing  o'  the  king's  customs." 

'Ay,  Neil  told  me." 

'Weel?" 

'Weel,  since  you  ask  me,  I  say  it  was  gude 
news." 

"  Noo,  Janet,  we'll  hae  to  come  to  an  understand- 
ing. If  I  hae  swithered  in  my.  loyalty  before,  I'll  do 
sae  nae  niair.  From  this  hour,  .me  and  my  house 
will  serve  King  George.  I'll  hae  nae  treason  done 
in  it,  nor  said ;  no,  nor  even  thocht  o'." 

"  You'll  be  a  vera  Samson  o'  strength,  and  a  vera 
Solomon  o'  wisdom,  if  you  keep  the  hands  and  the 
tongues  and  the  thochts  o'  this  house.  Whiles,  you 
canna  vera  weel  keep  the  door  o'  your  ain  mouth, 
gudeman.  What's  come  o'er  you,  at  a'  ?  " 

"I'm  surely  master  in  my  ain  house,  Janet." 

"  'Deed,  you  are  far  from  being  that,  Alexander 
Semple.  Doesna  King  George  quarter  his  men  in 
it?  And  havena  you  to  feed  and  shelter  them,  and 
to  thole  their  ill  tempers  and  their  ill  ways,  morn- 
ing, noon,  and  night?  You  master  in  your  am 
house!  You're  just  a  naebody  in  it!  " 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  227 

"  Dinna  get  on  your  high  horse,  madam.  Things 
are  coming  to  the  upshot:  there's  nae  doot  o'  it." 

"  They've  been  lang  aboot  it, — too  lang." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  that  you  are  going  to  set 
yoursel'  among  the  rebels  ?  " 

((  Going?  Na,  na;  I  have  aye  been  amang  them. 
And  ten  years  syne,  when  the  Stamp  Act  was  the 
question,  you  were  heart  and, soul  wi'  the  people. 
The  quarrel  to-day  is  the  same  quarrel  wi'  a  new 
name.  Tak'  the  side  o'  honor  and  manhood  and 
justice,  and  dinna  mak'  me  ashamed  o'  you,  Alex- 
ander. The  Semples  have  aye  been  for  freedom,— 
Kirk  and  State, — and  I  never  heard  tell  o'  them 
losing  a  chance  to  gie  them  proud  English  a  set- 
down  before.  What  for  should  you  gie  the  lie  to  a* 
your  forbears  said  and  did  ?  King  George  hasna 
put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  for  you ;  he  has  done 
naething  but  tax  your  incomings  and  your  out- 
goings. Ask  Van  Heemskirk  :  he's  a  prudent  man, 
and  you'll  never  go  far  wrong  if  you  walk  wir 
him." 

"Ask  Van  Heemskirk,  indeed!  Not  I.  The 
rebellious  spirit  o'  the  teji  tribes  is  through  all  the 
land ;  but  I'll  stand  by  King  George,  if  I'm  the  only 
man  to  do  it." 

"  George  may  be  king  o'  the  Semples.  I'm  a 
Gordon.  He's  no  king  o'  mine.  The  Gordons  were 
a'  for  the  Stuarts." 

"  Jacobite  and  traitor,  baith !  Janet,  Janet,  how 
can  you  turn  against  me  on  every  hand  ?  " 

"  I'll  no  turn  against  you,  elder;  and  I'll  gie  you 
no  cause  for  complaint,  if  you  dinna  set  King  George 
on  my  hearthstone,  and  bring  him  to  my  table,  and 
fling  him  at  me  early  and  late."  She  was  going  to 
light  the  candle  again ;  and,  with  it  in  her  hand,  she 
continued :  "  That's  enough  anent  George  rex  at 
night-time,  for  he  isna  a  pleasant  thought  for  a 
sleeping  one.  How  is  Van  Heemskirk  going?  And 
Bram  ?  " 

"  Bram  was  wi'  them  that  unloaded  the  schooner, 
and  closed  the  custom-house,— the  born  idiots !  " 

"  I  expected  that  o'  Bram." 


228  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

"  As  for  his  father,  he's  the  blackest  rebel  you 
could  find  or  hear  tell  o'  in  the  twelve  Provinces." 

"  He's  a  good  man ;  Joris  is  a  good  man,  true  and 
sure.  The  cause  he  lifts,  he'll  never  leave.  Joris 
and  Bram, — excellent!  They  two  are  a  multitude." 

"Humff!  "  It  was  all  he  could  say.  There  was 
something  in  his  wife's  face  that  made  it  look  un- 
familiar to  him.  He  felt  himself  to  be  like  the 
prophet  of  Pethor, — a  man  whose  eyes  are  opened. 
But  Elder  Semple  was  not  one  of  the  foolish  ones  who 
waste  words.  "A  wilfu'  woman  will  hae  her  way," 
he  thought;  "  and,  if  Janet  has  turned  rebel  to  the 
king,  it's  mair  than  likely  she'll  throw  off  my  ain  law- 
fu'  authority  likewise.  But  we'll  see,  we'll  see,"  he 
muttered,  glancing  with  angry  determination  at  the 
little  woman,  who,  for  her  part,  seemed  to  have  put 
quite  away  all  thoughts  of  king  and  Congress. 

She  stood  with  the  tinder-box  and  the  flint  and 
brimstone  matches  in  her  hands,  "  I  wonder  if  the 
tinder  is  burnt  enough,  Alexander,"  she  said;  and 
with  the  words  she  sharply  struck  the  flint.  A  spark 
fell  instantly  and  set  fire  to  it,  and  she  lit  her  match 
and  watched  it  blaze  with  a  singular  look  of  triumph 
on  her  face.  Somehow  the  trifling  affair  irritated 
the  elder.  "  What  are  you  doing  at  a'  ?  You're 
acting  like  a  silly  bairn,  makin'  a  blaze  for  naething. 
There's  a  fire  on  the  hearth :  whatna  for,  then,  are 
you  wasting  tinder  and  a  match  ?  " 

"  Maybe  it  wasna  for  naething,  elder.  Maybe  I 
was  asking  for  a  sign,  and  got  the  ane  I  wanted. 
There's  nae  sin  in  that,  I  hope.  You  ken  Gideon 
did  it  when  he  had  to  stand  up  for  the  oppressed, 
and  slay  the  tyrant." 

"Tut,  woman,  you  arena  Gideon,  nor  yet  o' 
Gideon's  kind ;  and,  forbye,  there's  nae  angel  speak- 
ing wi'  you." 

"  You're  right  there,  elder.  But,  for  a'  that,  I'm 
glad  that  the  spark  fired  the  tinder,  and  that  the 
tinder  lit  the  match,  and  that  the  match  burnt  sae 
bright  and  sae  bravely.  It  has  made  a  glow  in  my 
heart,  and  I'll  sleep  well  wi'  the  pleasure  o'  it." 

Next    morning  the  argument  was  not  renewed. 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  229 

Neil  was  sombre  and  silent.  His  father  was  un- 
certain as  to  his  views,  and  he  did  not  want  to  force 
or  hurry  a  decision.  Besides,  it  would  evidently  be 
more  prudent  to  speak  with  the  young  man  when  he 
could  not  be  influenced  by  his  mother's  wilful, 
scornful  tongue.  Perhaps  Neil  shared  this  prudent 
feeling;  for  he  deprecated  conversation,  and,  on  the 
plea  of  business,  left  the  breakfast-table  before  the 
meal  was  finished. 

The  elder,  however,  had  some  indemnification  for 
his  cautious  silence.  He  permitted  himself,  at 
family  prayers,  a  very  marked  reading  of  St.  Paul's 
injunction,  "Fear  God  and  honor  the  king;"  and 
ere  he  left  the  house  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  Janet,  I 
hope  you  hae  come  to  your  senses.  You'll  allow 
that  you  didna  treat  me  wi'  a  proper  respect  yest'r- 
een?  " 

She  was  standing  face  to  face  with  him,  her  hands 
uplifted,  fastening  the  broad  silver  clasp  of  his 
cloak.  For  a  moment  she  hesitated,  the  next  she 
raised  herself  on  tiptoes,  and  kissed  him.  He  pursed 
up  his  mouth  a  little  sternly,  and  then  stroked  her 
white  hair.  "  You  heard  what  St.  Paul  says,  Janet ; 
isna  that  a  settlement  o'  the  question  ?  " 

"  I'm  no  blaming  St.  Paul,  Alexander.  If  ever  St. 
Paul  approves  o'  submitting  to  tyranny,  it's  thae 
translator's  fault.  He  wouldna  tak'  injustice  him- 
seP,  not  even  from  a  Roman  magistrate.  I  wish  St. 
Paul  was  alive  the  day:  I'm  vera  sure  if  he  were, 
he'd  write  an  epistle  to  the  English,  wad  put  the 
king's  dues  just  as  free  men  would  be  willing  to  pay 
them.  Now,  don't  be  angry,  Alexander.  If  you  go 
awa'  angry  at  me,  you'll  hae  a  bad  day;  you  ken 
that,  gudeman." 

It  was  a  subtile  plea ;  for  no  man,  however  wise  or 
good  or  brave,  likes  to  bespeak  ill-fortune  when  it 
can  be  averted  by  a  sacrifice  so  easy  and  so  pleasant. 
But,  in  spite  of  Janet's  kiss,  he  was  unhappy ;  and, 
when  he  reached  the  store,  the  clerks  and  porters 
were  all  standing  together  talking.  He  knew  quite 
well  what  topic  they  were  discussing  with  such  eager 
movements  and  excited  speech.  But  they  dispersed 


230  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

to  their  work  at  the  sight  of  his  sour,  stern  face,  and 
he  did  not  intend  to  open  a  fresh  dispute  by  any 
question. 

Apprentices  and  clerks  then  showed  a  great  deal 
of  deference  to  their  masters,  and  Elder  Semple 
demanded  the  full  measure  due  to  him.  Something, 
however,  in  the  carriage,  in  the  faces,  in  the  very 
tones  of  his  servants'  voices,  offended  him ;  and  he 
soon  discovered  that  various  small  duties  had  been 
neglected. 

**  Listen  to  me,  lads,"  he  said  angrily;  "  I'll  have 
nae  politics  mixed  up  wi'  my  exports  and  imports. 
Neither  king  nor  Congress  has  aught  to  do  wi'  my 
business;  and  if  there  is  among  you  ane  o'  them 
fools  that  ca'  themselves  the  'Sons  o'  Liberty,'  I'll 
pay  him  whatever  I  owe  him  now,  and  he  can  gang 
to  Madam  Lit3erty  for  his  future  wage." 

He  was  standing  on  the  step  of  his  high  counting- 
desk  as  he  spoke^and  he  peered  over  the  little 
wooden  railing  at  the  men  scattered  about  with  pens 
or  hammers  or  goods  in  their  hands.  There  was  a 
moment's  silence ;  then  a  middle-aged  man  quietly 
laid  down  the  tools  with  which  he  was  closing  a  box, 
and  walked  up  to  the  desk.  The  next  moment, 
every  one  in  the  place  had  followed  him.  Semple 
was  amazed  and  angry,  but  he  made  no  sign  of 
either  emotion.  He  counted  to  the  most  accurate 
fraction  every  one's  due,  and  leUthem  go  without 
one  word  of  remonstrance. 

But,  as  soon  as  he  was  alone,  he  felt  the  full  bit- 
terness of  their  desertion,  and  he  could  not  keep  the 
tears  out  of  his  eyes  as  he  looked  at  their  empty 
places.  "  Wha  could  hae  thocht  it  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  Allan  has  been  wi'  me  twenty-seven  years,  and 
Scott  twenty,  and  Grey  nearly  seventeen.  And  the 
lads  I  have  aye  been  kindly  to.  Maist  o'  them  have 
wives  and  bairns,  too;  it's  just  a  sin  o'  them.  It's 
no  to  be  believed.  It's  fair  witchcraft.  And  the 
pride  o'  them !  My  certie,  they  all  looked  as  if  their 
hands  were  itching  for  a  sword  or  a  pair  o'  pistols !  " 

At  this  juncture  Neil  entered  the  store.  "Here's 
a  bonnie  pass,  Neil ;  every  man  has  left  the  store.  I 
may  as  weel  put  up  the  shutters." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  231 

"There  are  other  men  to  be  hired." 

"  They  were  maistly  a'  auld  standbys,  auld  married 
men  that  ought  to  have  had  inair  sense." 

"The  married  men  are  the  trouble-makers;  the 
women  have  hatched  and  nursed  this  rebellion.  If 
they  would  only  spin  their  webs,  and  mind  their 
knitting!  " 

"  But  they  willna,  Neil ;  and  they  never  would.  If 
there's  a  plot  o'  rebellion  brewing  between  the  twa 
poles,  women  will  be  dabbling  in  it.  They  have  aye 
been  against  lawfu'  authority.  The  restraints  o' 
paradise  was  tyranny  to  them.  And  they  get  worse 
and  worse :  it  isna  ane  apple  would  do  them  the  noo ; 
they'd  strip  the  tree,  my  lad,  to  its  vera  topmost 
branch." 

"There's  mother — " 

"Ay,  there's  your  mother,  she's  a  gude  example. 
She's  a  Gordon ;  and  thae  Gordon  women  cried  the 
'Slogan'  till  their  men's  heads  were  a'  on  Carlisle 
gate  or  Temple  Bar,  and  their  lands  a'  under  King 
George's  thumb.  But  is  she  any  wiser  for  the  les- 
son ?  Not  her.  Women  are  born  rebels ;  the  '  powers 
that  be  '  are  always  tyrants  to  them,  Neil." 

"You  ought  to  know,  father.  I  have  small  and 
sad  experience  with  them." 

"  Sae,  I  hope  you'll  stand  by  my  side.  We  twa  can 
keep  the  house  thegither.  If  we  are  a'  right,  the 
Government  will  whistle  by  a  woman's  talk." 

"  Did  you  not  say  Katherine  was  coming  back  ?  " 

"  I  did  that.  See  there,  again.  Hyde  has  dropped 
his  uniform,  and  sold  a'  that  he  has,  and  is  coming 
to  fight  in  a  quarrel  that's  nane  o'  his.  Heard  you 
ever  such  foolishness?  But  it  is  Katherine's  doing; 
there's  little  doot  o'  that." 

"  He's  turned  rebel,  then  ?  " 

"Ay  has  he.  That's  what  women  do.  Politics 
and  rebellion  is  the  same  thing  to  them." 

"  Well,  father,  I  shall  not  turn  rebel." 

"O  Neil,  you  take  a  load  off  my  heart  by  thae 
words!  " 

"  I  have  nothing  against  the  king,  and  I  could  not 
be  Hyde's  comrade." 


232  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

FOR  FREEDOM'S  SAKE. 

"How  glorious  stand  the  valiant,  sword  in  hand, 
In  front  of  battle  for  their  native  land!  " 

"  Force  and  right  rule  all  things  in  the  world ;  force  arrives  first* 
then  right." 

"Justice  is  truth  in  action." 

IT  was  into  this  thundery  atmosphere  of  coming 
conflict,  of  hopes  and  doubts,  of  sundering  ties  and 
fearful  looking  forward,  that  Richard  and  Kather- 
ine  Hyde  came,  from  the  idyllic  peace  and  beauty 
of  their  Norfolk  house.  But  there  was  something  in 
it  that  fitted  Hyde's  real  disposition.  He  was  a 
natural  soldier,  and  he  had  arrived  at  the  period  of 
life  when  the  mere  show  and  pomp  of  the  profession 
had  lost  all  satisfying  charm.  He  had  found  a  quar- 
rel worthy  of  his  sword,  one  that  had  not  only  his 
deliberate  approval,  but  his  passionate  sympathy. 
In  fact,  his  first  blow  for  American  independence 
had  been  struck  in  the  duel  with  Lord  Paget;  for 
that  quarrel,  though  nominally  concerningLady  Suf- 
folk, was  grounded  upon  a  dislike  engendered  by 
their  antagonism  regarding  the  government  of  the 
Colonies. 

It  was  an  exquisite  April  morning  when  they  sailed 
up  New  York  bay  once  more.  Joris  had  been  watch- 
ing for  the  "Western  Light;  "  and,  when  she  came 
to  anchor  at  Murray's  Wharf,  his  was  the  foremost 
figure  on  it.  He  had  grown  a  little  stouter,  but  was 
still  a  splendid  looking  man ;  he  had  grown  a  little 
older,  but  his  tenderness  for  his  daughter  was  still 
young  and  fresh  and  strong  as  ever.  He  took  her  in 
his  arms,  murmuring,  "Jfjjjn  Katrijntje,  mijn  Kat- 
rijntje! Ach,  mijn  kind,  mijn  kind!" 

Hyde  had  felt  that  there  might  be  some  embarras- 
ment  in  his  own  case,  perhaps  some  explanation  or 
acknowledgment  to  make;  but  Joris  waved  aside 
any  speech  like  it.  He  gave  Hyde  both  hands ;  he 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  233 

called  him  "mijn  zoon;"  he  stooped,  and  put  the 
little  lad's  arms  around  his  neck.  In  many  a  kind 
and  delicate  way  he  made  them  feel  that  all  of  the 
past  was  forgotten  but  its  sweetness. 

And  surely  that  hour  Lysbet  had  the  reward  of 
her  faithful  affection.  She  had  always  admired 
Hyde ;  and  she  was  proud  and  happy  to  have  him  in 
her  home,  and  to  have  him  call  her  "  mother."  The 
little  Joris  took  possession  of  her  heart  in  a  moment. 
Her  Katherine  was  again  at  her  side.  She  had  felt 
the  clasp  of  her  hands ;  she  had  heard  her  whisper 
"  mijn  moeder  "  upon  her  lips. 

They  landed  upon  a  Saturday,  upon  one  of  those 
delightsome  days  that  April  frequently  gives  to  New 
York.  There  was  a  fresh  wind,  full  of  the  smell  of 
the  earth  and  the  sea;  an  intensely  blue  sky,  with 
flying  battalions  of  white  fleecy  clouds  across  it;  a 
glorious  sunshine  above  every  thing.  And  people 
live,  and  live  happily,  even  in  the  shadow  of  war. 
The  stores  were  full  of  buyers  and  sellers.  The  doors 
and  windows  of  the  houses  were  open  to  the  spring 
freshness.  Lysbet  had  heard  of  their  arrival,  and 
was  watching  for  them.  Her  hair  was  a  little  whiter, 
her  figure  a  little  stouter;  but  her  face  was  fair  and 
rosy,  and  sweet  as  ever. 

In  a  few  hours  things  had  fallen  naturally  and 
easily  into  place.  Joris  and  Bram  and  Hyde  sat 
talking  of  the  formation  of  a  regiment.  Little  Joris 
leaned  on  his  grandfather's  shoulder,  listening. 
Lysbet  and  Katherine  were  unpacking  trunks  full 
of  fineries  and  pretty  things;  occasionally  stopping 
to  give  instructions  to  Dinorah,  who  was  preparing 
an  extra  tea,  as  Batavius  and  Joanna  \vere  coining 
to  spend  the  evening.  "  And  to  the  elder  and  Janet 
Semple  I  have  sent  a  message,  also,"  said  Lysbet; 
"for  I  see  not  why  anger  should  be  nursed,  or  old 
friendships  broken,  for  politics." 

Katherine  had  asked  at  once,  with  eager  love,  for 
Joanna ;  she  had  expected  that  she  would  be  waiting 
to  welcome  her.  Lysbet  smiled  faintly  at  the  sup- 
position. "  She  has  a  large  family,  then,  and  Bata- 
vius, and  her  house.  Seldom  comes  she  here  now." 


234  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

But  about  four  o'clock,  as  Katherine  and  Hyd< 
were  dressing,  Joanna  and  Batavius  and  all  thei 
family  arrived.  In  a  moment,  their  presence  seemeq 
to  diffuse  itself  through  the  house.  There  was  t 
sense  of  confusion  and  unrest,  and  the  loud  crying 
of  a  hungry  baby  determined  to  be  attended  to 
And  Joanna  was  fulfilling  this  duty,  when  Kath- 
erine hastened  to  meet  her.  Wifehood  and  mother- 
hood had  greatly  altered  the  slim,  fair  girl  of  ten 
years  previous.  She  had  grown  stout,  and  was  un- 
tidy in  her  dress,  and  a  worried,  anxious  expression 
was  continually  on  her  countenance;  for,  though 
Batavius  kept  an  eye  on  the  children,  there  were 
five  of  them  beside  the  baby, — fat,  rosy,  round-faced 
miniatures  of  himself,  all  having  a  fair  share  of  his 
peculair  selfish  traits,  which  each  expressed  after | 
their  individual  fashion. 

Hyde  met  his  brother-in-law  with  a  gentlemanly 
cordiality;  and  Batavius,  who  had  told  Joanna  "  he 
intended  to  put  down  a  bit  that  insolent  English-  j 
man,"  was  quite  taken  off  his  guard,  and,  ere  he  was  i 
aware  of  his  submission,  was  smoking  amicably 
with  him,  as  they  discussed  the  proposed  military 
organization.  Very  soon  Hyde  asked  Batavius,  "If 
he  were  willing  to  join  it  ?  " 

"  When  such  a  family  a  man  has,"  he  answered, 
waving  his  hand  complacently  toward  the  six  chil- 
dren, "he  must  have  some  prudence -and  considera- 
tion. I  had  been  well  content  with  one  child ;  but 
we  must  have  our  number,  there  is  no  remedy.  And 
I  am  a  householder,  and  I  pay  my  way,  and  do  my 
business.  It  is  a  fixed  principle  with  me,  not  to 
meddle  with  the  business  of  other  people." 

"  But,  sir,  this  is  your  business,  and  your  chil- 
dren's business  also." 

"  I  think,  then,  that  it  is  King  George's  business." 

"  It  is  liberty " 

"  Well,  then,  I  have  my  liberty.  I  have  liberty  to 
buy  and  to  sell,  to  go  to  my  own  kirk,  to  sail  the 
'  Great  Christopher '  when  and  where  I  will.  My 
house,  my  wife,  my  little  children,  nobody  has 
touched." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  235 

"  Pray,  sir,  what  of  your  rights  ?  your  honor  ?  " 

"  Oh,  indeed,  then,  for  ideas  I  quarrel  not!  Facts, 
they  are  different.  Every  man  has  his  own  creed, 
and  every  m*an  his  own  liberty,  so  say  I. — Come 
here,  Alicia,"  and  he  waved  his  hand  imperiously  to 
a  little  woman  of  four  years  old,  who  was  sulking  at 
the  window,  "  what's  the  matter  now  ?  You  have 
been  crying  again.  I  see  that  you  have  a  discon- 
tented temper.  There  is  a  spot  on  your  petticoat 
also,  and  your  cap  is  awry.  I  fear  that  you  will 
never  become  a  neat,  respectable  girl, — you  that 
ought  to  set  a  good  pattern  to  your  little  sister 
Femmetia." 

Evidently  he  wished  to  turn  the  current  of  the 
conversation;  but,  as  soon  as  the  child  had  been 
sent  to  her  mother,  Joris  resumed  it. 

"If  you  go  not  yourself  to  the  fight,  Batavius, 
plenty  of  young  men  are  there,  longing  to  go,  who 
have  no  arms  and  no  clothes :  send  in  your  place 
one  of  them." 

"  It  is  my  fixed  principle  not  to  meddle  in  the 
affairs  of  other  people,  and  my  principles  are  sacred 
to  me." 

"  Batavius,  you  said  not  long  ago,  that  the  colon- 
ists were  leaving  the  old  ship,  and  that  the  first  in 
the  new  boat  would  have  the  choice  of  oars." 

"  Bram,  that  is  the  truth.  I  said  not  that  I  would 
choose  any  of  the  oars." 

"A  fair  harbor  we  shall  make,  and  the  rewards 
will  be  great,  Batavius." 

"  It  is  not  good  to  cry  'herrings,'  till  in  the  net 
you  have  them.  And  to  talk  of  rowing,  the  colon- 
ists must  row  against  wind  and  tide;  the  Eng- 
lish will  row  with  set  sail.  That  is  easy  rowing. 
Into  this  question  I  have  looked  well,  for  always  I 
think  about  every  thing." 

"  Have  you  read  the  speeches  of  Adams  and  Han- 
cock and  Quincy  ?  Have  you  heard  what  Col.  Wash- 
ington said  in  the  Assembly  ?  " 

"Oh,  these  men  are  discontented!  Something 
which  they  have  not  got,  they  want.  They  are 
troublesome  and  conceited.  They  expect  the  cen- 


236  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

tury  will  be  called  after  them.  Now,  I,  who  punctu- 
ally fulfil  my  obligations  as  a  father  and  a  citizen, 
/  am  contented,  /  never  make  complaints,  J  never 
want  more  liberty.  You  may  read  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  that  no  good  comes  of  rebellion.  Did 
not  Absalom  sit  in  the  gate,  and  say  to  the  discon- 
tented, '  See,  thy  matters  are  good  and  right;  but 
there  is  no  man  deputed  of  the  king  to  hear  thee ; ' 
and,  moreover,  'Oh,  that  I  were  made  a  judge  in 
the  land,  that  every  man  which  hath  any  suit  or 
cause  might  come  unto  me,  and  I  would  do  him 
justice'?  And  did  not  Sheba  blow  a  trumpet,  ar.d 
say,  '  We  have  no  part  in  David,  neither  have  we 
inheritance  in  the  son  of  Jesse.  Every  man  to  his 
tents,  O  Israel '  ?  Well,  then,  what  came  of  such 
follies?  You  may  read  in  the  Word  of  God,  that 
they  ended  in  ruin." 

Hyde  looked  with  curiosity  at  the  complacent 
orator.  Bram  rose,  and,  with  a  long-drawn  whistle, 
left  the  room.  Joris  said  sternly;  "Enough  you 
have  spoken,  Batavius.  None  are  so  blind  as  those 
who  will  not  see." 

"  \Vell,  then,  father,  I  can  see  what  is  in  the  way 
of  mine  own  business;  and  it  is  a  fixed  principle 
with  me  not  to  meddle  with  the  business  of  other 
people.  And  look  here,  Joanna,  the  night  is  com- 
ing, and  the  dew  with  it,  and  Alida  had  a  sore  throat 
yesterday :  we  had  better  go.  'Past  in  sleep  the 
children  ought  to  be  at  this  hour."  And  he  bustled 
about  them,  tying  on  caps  and  capes;  and  finally, 
having  marshalled  the  six  children  and  their  two 
nurses  in  front  of  him,  he  trotted  off  with  Joanna 
upon  his  arm,  fully  persuaded  that  he  had  done  him- 
self great  credit,  and  acted  with  uncommon  wisdom. 
"  But  it  belongs  to  me  to  do  that,  Joanna,"  he  said  : 
"among  all  the  merchants,  I  amknownforniy  gieat 
prudence." 

"I  think  that  my  father  and  Bram  will  get  into 
trouble  in  this  matter." 

"You  took  the  word  out  of  my  mouth,  Joanna; 
and  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  such  follies,  for 
they  are  waxing  hand  over  hand  like  the  great 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  237 

winds  at  sea,  till  the  hurricane  comes,  and  then  the 
ruin." 

The  next  morning  was  the  sabbath,  and  it  broke  in 
a  perfect  splendor  of  sunshine.  The  New  World 
was  so  new  and  fresh,  and  Katherine  thought  she 
had  never  before  seen  the  garden  so  lovely.  Joris 
was  abroad  in  it  very  early.  He  looked  at  the  gay 
crocus  and  the  pale  snowdrop  and  the  budding  pan- 
sies  with  a  singular  affection.  He  was  going,  per- 
chance, on  a  long  warfare.  Would  he  ever  return  to 
greet  them  in  the  coming  springs  ?  If  he  did  return, 
would  they  be  there  to  greet  him  ?  As  he  stood  pen-- 
sively  thoughtful,  Katherine  called  him.  He  raised 
his  eyes,  and  watched  her  approach  as  be  had  been 
used  when  she  was  a  child,  a  schoolgirl,  a  lovely 
maiden.  But  never  had  she  been  so  beautiful  as 
now.  She  was  dressed  for  church  in  a  gown  of  rich 
brown  brocade  over  a  petticoat  of  paler  satin,  with 
costly  ornaments  of  gold  and  rubies.  As  she  joined 
her  father,  Hyde  joined  Lysbet  in  the  parlor;  and 
the  two  stood  at  the  window  watching  her.  She  had 
clasped  her  hands  upon  his  shoulder,  and  leaned  her 
beautiful  head  against  them.  "  A  most  perfect  pic- 
ture," said  Hyde,  and  then  he  kissed  Lysbet;  and 
from  that  moment  they  were  mother  and  son. 

They  walked  to"  church  together;  and  Hyde 
thought  how  beautiful  the  pleasant  city  was  that 
sabbath  morning,  with  its  pretty  houses  shaded  by 
trees  just  turning  green,  its  clear  air  full  of  the 
grave,  dilating  harmony  of  the  church-bells,  its 
quiet  streets  thronged  with  men  and  women, — both 
sexes  dressed  with  a  magnificence  modern  Broadway 
beaux  and  belles  have  nothing  to  compare  with. 
What  staid,  dignified  men  in  three-cornered  hats 
and  embroidered  velvet  coats  and  long  plush  vests! 
What  buckles  and  wigs  and  lace  ruffles  and  gold 
snuffboxes !  What  beautiful  women  in  brocades  and 
taffetas,  in  hoops  and  high  heels  and  gauze  hats ! 
Here  and  there  a  black-robed  dominie ;  here  and 
there  a  splendidly  dressed  British  officer,  in  scarlet 
and  white,  and  gold  epaulettes  and  silver  embroid- 
eries! New  York  has  always  been  a  highly  pictur- 


238  TEE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

esque  city,  but  never  more  so  than  in  the  restless 
days  of  A.  D.  1775. 

Katherine  and  Hyde  and  Bram  were  together; 
Joris  and  Lysbet  were  slowly  following  them.  They 
were  none  of  them  speaking  much,  nor  thinking 
much,  but  all  were  very  happy  and  full  of  content. 
Suddenly  the  peaceful  atmosphere  was  troubled  by 
the  startling  clamor  of  a  trumpet.  It  was  a  note  so 
distinct  from  the  music  of  the  bells,  so  full  of  terror 
and  warning,  that  every  one  stood  still.  A  second 
blast  was  accompanied  by  the  rapid  beat  of  a  horse's 
hoofs ;  and  the  rider  came  down  Broadway  like  one 
on  a  message  of  life  and  death,  and  made  no  pause 
until  he  had  very  nearly  reached  Maiden  Lane. 

At  that  point  a  tall,  muscular  man  seized  the  horse 
by  the  bridle,  and  asked,  "  What  news  ?  " 

"  Great  news !  great  news !  There  has  been  a  bat- 
tle, a  massacre  at  Lexington,  a  running  fight  from 
Concord  to  Boston!  Stay  me  not!"  But,  as  he 
shook  the  bridle  free,  he  threw  a  handbill,  contain- 
ing the  official  account  of  the  affair  at  Lexington,  to 
the  inquirer. 

Who  then  thought  of  church,  though  the  church- 
bells  were  ringing  ?  The  crowd  gathered  around  the 
man  with  the  handbill,  and  in  ominous  silence  lis- 
tened to  the  tidings  of  the  massacre  at  Lexington, 
the  destruction  of  stores  at  Concord,  the  quick  gath- 
ering of  the  militia  from  the  hills  and  dales  around 
Reading  and  Eoxbury,  the  retreat  of  the  British 
under  their  harrassing  fire,  until,  worn  out  and  dis- 
organized, they  had  found  a  refuge  in  Boston. 
•"And  this  is  the  postscript  at  the  last  moment," 
added  the  reader:  "  '  Men  are  pouring  in  from  all 
the  country  sides;  Putnam  left  his  plough  in  the 
furrow,  and  rode  night  and  day  to  the  ground; 
Heath,  also,  is  with  him.'  " 

Joris  was  white  and  stern  in  his  emotion ;  Bram 
stood  by  the  reader,  with  a  face  as  bright  as  a  bride- 
groom's; Hyde's  lips  were  drawn  tight,  and  his  eyes 
flashing  with  the  true  military  flame.  "  Father,"  he 
said,  "take  mother  and  Katherine  to  church;  Bram 
and  I  will  stay  here,  for  I  can  see  that  there  is  some- 
thing to  be  done." 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  239 

"  God  help  us !  Yes,  I  will  go  to  Him  first ;  "  and, 
taking  his  wife  and  daughter,  he  passed  with  them 
out  of  the  crowd. 

Hyde  turned  to  the  reader,  who  stood  with  bent 
brows,  and  the  paper  in  his  hand.  "  Well,  sir,  what 
is  to  be  done  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  There  are  five  hundred  stand  of  arms  in  the  City 
Hall ;  there  are  men  enough  here  to  take  them.  Let 
us  go." 

A  loud  cry  of  assent  answered  him. 

"My  name  is  Eichard  Hyde,  late  of  his  Majesty's 
'Windsor  Guards;'  but  I  am  with  you,  heart  and 
soul." 

"  I  am  Marinus  Willet." 

"  Then,  Mr.  Willet,  where  first  ?  " 

"  To  the  mayor's  residence.  He  has  the  keys  of 
the  room  in  which  the  arms  are  kept." 

The  news  spread,  no  one  knew  how,  but  men 
poured  out  from  the  churches  and  the  houses  on 
their  route,  and  Willet's  force  was  soon  nearly  a 
thousand  strong.  The  tumult,  the  tread,  the  animus 
of  the  gathering,  was  felt  in  that  part  of  the  city 
even  where  it  could  not  be  heard.  Joris  could 
hardly  endure  the  suspense,  and  the  service  did  him 
very  little  good.  About  two  o'clock,  as  he  was  walk- 
ing restlessly  about  the  house,  Bram  and  Hyde  re- 
turned together. 

"Well?"  he  asked. 

"There  were  five  hundred  stand  of  arms  in  the 
City  Hall,  and  I  swear  that  we  have  taken  them  all. 
A  man  called  Willet  led  us ;  a  hero,  quick  of  thought, 
prompt  and  daring, — a  true  soldier." 

"  I  know  him  well ;  a  good  man." 

"  The  keys  the  mayor  refused  to  us,"  said  Bram. 

"Oh,  sir,  he  lied  to  us!  Vowed  he  did  not  have 
them,  and  sent  us  to  the  armorer  in  Crown  Street. 
The  armorer  vowed  that  he  had  given  them  to  the> 
mayor." 

"  What  then  ?  " 

"Oh,  indeed,  all  fortune  fitted  us!  We  went  ere 
masse  down  Broadway  into  Wall  Street,  and  so  to 
the  City  Hall.  Here  some  one,  with  too  nice  a  sense 


240  THE  BO  W  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

of  the  sabbath,  objected  to  breaking  open  the  doors 
because  of  the  day.  But  with  very  proper  spirit 
Willet  replied,  '  If  we  wait  until  to-morrow,  the 
king's  inen  will  not  wait.  The  arms  will  be  removed. 
And  as  for  a  key,  here  is  one  that  will  open  any 
lock.'  As  he  said  the  words,  he  swung  a  great  axe 
around  his  head ;  and  so,  with  a  few  blows,  he  made 
us  an  entrance.  Indeed,  I  think  that  he  is  a  grand 
fellow." 

"  And  you  got  the  arms  ?  " 

"  Faitn,  we  got  all  we  went  for!  The  arms  were 
divided  among  the  people.  There  was  a  drum  and 
fife  also  found  with  them,  and  some  one  made  us 
very  excellent  music  to  step  to.  As  we  returned  up 
Broadway,  the  congregation  were  just  coming  out 
of  Trinity.  Upon  my  word,  I  think  we  frightened 
them  a  little." 

"  Where  were  the  English  soldiers  ?  " 
"Indeed,  they  were  shut  up  in  barracks.    Some 
of  their  officers  were  in  church,  others  waiting  for 
orders  from  the  governor  or  mayor.     'Tis  to  be 
found  out  where  the  governor  might  be  ;  the  mayor 
^was  frightened  beyond  every  thing,  and  not  capable 
of  giving  an  order.     Had  my  uncle  Gordon  been  still 
in  command  here,  he  had  not  been  so  patient." 
"  And  for  you  that  would  have  been  a  hard  case." 
"  Upon  my  word,  I  would  not  have  fought  my  old 
comrades.     I  am  glad,  then,  that  they  are  in  Quebec. 
Our  swords  will  scarce  reach  so  far." 
"  And  where  went  you  with  the  arms  ?  " 
"  To  a  room  in  John  Street.    There  they  were 
stacked,  the  names  of  the  men  enrolled,  and  a  guard 
placed  over  them.    Bram  is  on  the  night  patrol,  by 
nis  own  request.    As  for  me,  I  have  the  honor  of  as- 
sisting New  York  in  her  first  act  of  rebellion ;  and, 
if  the  military  superstition  be  a  true  one,  'A Sunday 
fight  is  a  lucky  fight.' — And  now,  mother,  we  will 
have  some  dinner:  '  the  soldier  loves  his  mess.'  " 

Every  one  was  watching  him  with  admiration. 
Never  in  his  uniform  had  he  appeared  so  like  a  sol- 
dier as  he  did  at  that  hour  in  his  citizen  coat  and 
breeches  of  wine-colored  velvet,  his  black  silk  stock- 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  241 

ings,  and  gold  buckled  shoes.  His  spirits  were  in- 
fectious :  Bram  had  already  come  into  through  sym- 
pathy with  him,  and  grown  almost  gay  in  his  com- 
Eauy ;  Joris  felt  his  heart  beat  to  the  joy  and  hope 
i  his  young  comrades.  All  alike  had  recognized 
that  the  fight  was  inevitable,  and  that  it  would  be 
well  done  if  it  were  soon  done. 

But  events  cannot  be  driven  by  wishes:  many 
things  had  to  be  settled  before  a  movement  forward 
could  be  made.  Joris  had  his  store  to  let,  and  the 
stock  and  good-will  to  dispose  of.  Horses  and  ac- 
coutrements must  be  bought,  uniforms  made ;  and 
every  day  this  charge  increased :  for,  as  soon  as 
Van  Heemskirk's  intention  to  go  to  the  front  was 
known,  a  large  number  of  young  men  from  the  best 
Dutch  families  were  eager  to  enlist  under  him. 

Hyde's  time  was  spent  as  a  recruiting-officer.  His 
old  quarters,  the  "  King's  Arms,"  were  of  course 
closed  to  him ;  but  there  was  a  famous  tavern  on 
Water  Street,  shaded  by  a  great  horse-chestnut  tree, 
and  there  the  patriots  were  always  welcome.  There, 
also,  the  news  of  all  political  events  was  in  some 
mysterious  way  sure  to  be  first  received.  In  com- 
pany with  Willet,  Sears,  and  McDougall,  Hyde 
might  be  seen  under  the  chestnut-tree  every  day, 
enlisting  men,  or  organizing  the  "Liberty  Regi- 
ment" then  raising. 

From  the  first,  his  valorous  temper,  his  singleness 
of  purpose,  his  military  skill  in  handling  troops,  and 
his  tine  appearance  and  manners,  had  given  him  in- 
fluence and  authority.  He  soon,  also,  gained  a  won- 
derful power  over  Bram;  and  even  the  temperate 
wisdom  and  fine  patience  of  Joris  gradually  kindled, 
until  the  man  was  at  white  heat  all  through.  Every 
day's  events  fanned  the  temper  of  the  city,  although 
it  was  soon  evident  that  the  first  fighting  would  be 
done  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston. 

For  three  weeks  after  that  memorable  April  Sun- 
day, Congress,  in  session  at  Philadelphia,  had  rec- 
ognized the  men  in  camp  there  as  a  Continental 
army,  the  nucleus  of  the  troops  that  were  to  be 
raised  for  the  defense  of  the  country,  and  had  com- 


242  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

missioned  Col.  Washington  as  commander-in-chief 
to  direct  their  operations.  Then  every  heart  was  in 
a  state  of  the  greatest  expectation  and  excitement. 
No  one  remembered  at  that  hour  that  the  little  army 
was  without  organization  or  discipline,  most  of  its 
officers  incompetent  to  command,  its  troops  alto- 
gether unused  to  obey,  and  in  the  field  without  en- 
listment. Their  few  pieces  of  cannon  were  old  and 
of  various  sizes,  and  scarce  any  one  understood  their 
service.  There  was  no  siege-train  and  no  ordnance 
stores.  There  was  no  military  chest,  and  nothing 
worthy  of  the  name  of  a  commissariat.  Yet  every 
one  was  sure  that  some  bold  stroke  would  be  struck, 
and  the  war  speedily  terminated  in  victory  and  in- 
pendence. 

So  New  York  was  in  the  buoyant  spirits  of  a  young 
man  rejoicing  to  run  a  race.  The  armorers,  the 
saddlers,  and  the  smiths  were  busy  day  and  night; 
weapons  were  in  every  hand,  the  look  of  appre- 
hended triumph  on  every  face.  In  June  the  Van 
Heemskirk  troops  were  ready  to  leave  for  Boston, — 
nearly  six  hundred  young  men,  full  of  pure  purpose 
and  brave  thoughts,  and  with  all  their  illusions  and 
enthusiasms  undimmed. 

The  day  before  their  departure,  they  escorted  Van 
Heemskirk  to  his  house.  Lysbet  and  Katherine 
saw  them  coming,  and  fell  weeping  on  each  other's 
necks, — tears  that  were  both  joyfcri  and  sorrowful, 
the  expression  of  mingled  love  and  patriotism  nnd 
grief.  It  would  have  been  hard  to  find  a  nobler 
looking  leader  than  Joris.  Age  had  but  added  dig- 
nity to  his  fine  bulk.  His  large,  fair  face  was  serene 
and  confident.  And  the  bright  young  lads  who  fol- 
lowed him  looked  like  his  sons,  for  most  of  them 
strongly  resembled  him  in  person ;  and  any  one 
might  have  been  sure,  even  if  the  roll  had  not  shown 
it,  that  they  were  Van  Brunts  and  Van  Eipers  and 
Van  Eensselaers,  Koosevelts,  Westervelts,  and  Ter- 
hunes. 

They  had  a  very  handsome  uniform,  and  there  had 
been  no  uncertainty  or  dispute  about  it.  Blue,  with 
orange  trimmings,  carried  the  question  without  one 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  243 

dissenting  voice.  Blue  had  been  for  centuries  the 
color  of  opposition  to  tyranny.  The  Scotch  Cove- 
nanters chose  it  because  the  Lord  ordered  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  to  wear  a  ribbon  of  blue  that  they 
m^gni,  "  look  upon  it,  and  remember  all  the  com- 
mandfnents  of  the  Lord,  and  do  them  ;  and  seek  not 
after  their  own  heart  and  their  own  eyes,  and  be 
holy  unto  their  God."  (Num.  xv.  38.)  Into  their 
cities  of  refuge  in  Holland,  the  Covenanters  carried 
their  sacred  color;  and  the  Dutch  Calvinists  soon 
blended  the  blue  of  their  faith  with  the  orange  of 
their  patriotism.  Very  early  in  the  American  strug- 
gle, blue  became  the  typical  color  of  freedom;  and 
when  Van  Heemskirk's  men  chose  the  blue  and 
orange  for  their  uniform,  they  selected  the  colors 
which  had  already  been  famous  on  many  a  battle- 
field of  freedom. 

Katherine  and  Lysbet  had  made  the  flag  of  the 
new  regiment, — an  orange  flag,  with  a  cluster  of 
twelve  blue  stars  above  the  word  liberty.  It  was 
Lysbet's  hands  that  gave  it  to  them.  They  stood  in 
a  body  around  the  open  door  of  the  Van  Heemskirk 
house ;  and  the  pretty  old  lady  kissed  it,  and  handed 
it  with  wet  eyes  to  the  color-sergeant.  Katherine 
stood  by  Lysbet's  side.  They  were  both  dressed  as  for 
a  festival,  and  their  faces  were  full  of  tender  love  and 
lofty  enthusiasm.  To  Joris  and  his  men  they  repre- 
sented the  womanhood  dear  to  each  individual  heart, 
Lysbet's  white  hair  and  white  cap  and  pale-tinted 
face  was  "  the  mother's  face ;  "  and  Katherine,  in  her 
brilliant  beauty,  her  smiles  and  tears,  her  shining 
silks  and  glancing  jewels,  was  the  lovely  substitute 
for  many  a  precious  sister  and  many  a  darling  lady- 
love. But  few  words  were  said.  Lysbet  and  Kath- 
erine could  but  stand  and  gaze  as  heads  were  bared, 
and  the  orange  folds  flung  to  the  wind,  and  the  in- 
spiring word  liberty  saluted  with  bright,  upturned 
faces  and  a  ringing  shout  of  welcome. 

Such  a  lovely  day  it  was, — a  perfect  June  day; 
doors  and  windows  were  wide  open ;  a  fresh  wind 
blowing,  a  hundred  blended  scents  from  the  garden 
were  in  the  air;  and  there  was  a  sunshine  that 


244  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

warmed  everything  to  the  core.  If  there  were  tears 
in  the  hearts  of  the  women,  they  put  them  back  with 
smiles  and  hopeful  words,  and  praises  of  the  gallant 
men  who  were  to  fight  a  noble  fight  under  the  ban- 
ner their  fingers  had  fashioned. 

It  was  to  be  the  last  evening  at  home  for  Joris  and 
Bram  and  Hyde,  and  everything  was  done  to  make 
it  a  happy  memory.  The  table  was  laid  with  the 
best  silver  and  china ;  all  the  dainties  that  the  three 
men  liked  best  were  prepared  for  them.  The  room 
was  gay  with  flowers  and  blue  and  orange  ribbons, 
and  bows  of  the  same  colors  fluttered  at  Lysbet's 
breast  and  on  Katherine's  shoulder.  And,  as  they 
they  went  up  and  down  the  house,  they  were  both 
singing,  singing  to  keep  love  from  weeping,  and 
hope  and  courage  from  failing;  Lysbet's  thin,  sweet 
voice  seeming  like  the  shadow  of  Katheriue's  clear, 
ringing  tones,— 

'Oh  for  the  blue  and-the  orange, 

Oh  for  the  orange  and  the  blue! 
Orange  for  men  that  are  free  men, 

Blue  for  men  that  are  true. 
Over  the  red  of  the  tyrant, 

Bloody  and  cruel  in  hue. 
Fling  out  the  banner  of  orange, 

With  penantand  border  of  blue. 
Orange  for  men  that  are  free  men, 

Blue  for  men  that  are  true." 

So  they  were  singing  when  Joris  and  his  sons  came 
home. 

There  had  been  some  expectation  of  Joanna  and 
Batavius,  but  at  the  last  moment  an  excuse  was 
sent.  "The  child  is  sick,  writes  Batavius;  but  I 
think,  then,  it  is  Batavius  that  is  afraid,  and  not  the 
child  who  is  sick,"  said  Joris. 

"  To  this  side  and  to  that  side  and  to  neither  side, 
he  will  go;  and  he  will  miss  all  the  good,  and  get  all 
the  bad  of  every  side,"  said  Bram  contemptuously. 

"I  think  not  so,  Bram.  Batavius  can  sail  with  the 
wind.  All  but  his  honor  and  his  manhood  he  will 
save." 

"That  is  exactly  true,"  continued  Hyde.     "He 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  245 

• 

will  grow  rich  upon  the  spoils  of  both  parties.  Upon 
my  word,  I  expect  to  hear  him  say,  'Admire  my  pru- 
dence. While  you  have  been  fighting  for  an  idea, 
I  have  been  making  myself  some  money.  It  is  a 
principle  of  mine  to  attend  only  to  my  own  affairs." 

After  supper  Bram  went  to  bid  a  friend  good-bye ; 
and,  as  Joris  and  Lysbet  sat  in  the  quiet  parlor, 
Elder  Semple  and  his  wife  walked  in.  The  elder  was 
sad  and  still.  He  took  the  hands  of  Joris  in  his 
own,  and  looked  him  steadily  in  the  face.  "Man 
Joris,"  he  said,  "  what's  sending  you  on  sic  a  daft- 
like  errand?  " 

Joris  smiled,  and  grasped  tighter  his  friend's  hand. 
"So  glad  am  I  to  see  you  at  the  last,  elder.  As  in 
you  came,  I  was  thinking  about  you.  Let  us  part 
good  friends  and  brothers.  If  I  come  not  back — " 

" Tut,  tut!  You're  sure  and  certain  to  come  back ; 
and  sae  I'll  save  the  quarrel  I  hae  wi'  you  until 
then.  We'll  hae  mair  opportunities ;  and  I'll  hae  rnair 
arguments  against  you,  wi'  every  week  that  passes. 
Joris,  you'll  no  hae  a  single  word  to  say  for  yoursel' 
then.  Sae,  I'll  bide  my  time.  I  came  to  speak 
anent  things,  in  case  o'  the  warst,  to  tell  you  that  if 
any  one  wants  to  touch  your  wife  or  your  bairns,  a 
brick  in  your  house,  or  a  flower  in  your  garden-plat, 
I'll  stand  by  all  that's  yours,  to  the  last  shilling  I 
hae,  and  nane  shall  harm  them.  Neil  and  I  will 
baith  do  all  men  may  do.  Scotsmen  hae  lang  mem- 
ories for  either  friend  or  foe.  O  Joris,  man,  if  you 
had  only  had  an  ounce  o'  common  wisdom !  " 

"  I  have  a  friend,  then !  I  have  you,  Alexander. 
Never  this  hour  shall  I  regret.  If  all  else  I  lose,  I 
have  saved  mijn  jongen."  * 

The  old  men  bent  to  each  other :  there  were  tears 
in  their  eyes.  Without  speaking,  they  were  aware  of 
kindness  and  faithfulness  and  gratitude  beyond  the 
power  of  words.  They  smoked  a  pipe  together,  and 
sometimes  changed  glances  and  smiles,  as  they 
looked  at,  or  listened  to,  Lysbet  and  Janet  Semple, 
\vho  had  renewed  their  long  kindness  in  the  sympa- 
thy of  their  patriotic  hopes  and  fears. 
*  My  fiuiiiliiir  friend. 


246  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

« 

Hyde  and  Katherine  were  walking  in  the  garden, 
lingering  in  the  sweet  June  twilight  by  the  lilac 
hedge  and  the  river-bank.  All  Hyde's  business  was 
arranged :  he  was  going  into  the  fight  without  any 
anxiety  beyond  such  as  was  natural  to  the  circum- 
stances. While  he  was  away,  his  wife  and  son  were 
to  remain  with  Lysbet.  He  could  desire  no  better 
home  for  them :  their  lives  would  be  so  quiet  and 
orderly,  that  he  could  almost  tell  what  they  would  be 
doing  at  every  hour.  And,  while  he  was  in  the  din 
and  danger  of  siege  and  battle,  he  felt  that  it 
would  be  restful  to  think  of  Katherine  in  the  still, 
fair  rooms  and  the  sweet  garden  of  her  first  home. 

If  he  never  came  back,  ample  provision  had  been 
made  for  his  wife  and  son's  welfare;  but— and  he 
suddenly  turned  to  Katherine,  as  if  she  had  been 
conscious  of  his  thoughts — "  The  war  will  not  last 
very  long,  dear  heart ;  and  when  liberty  is  won,  and 
the  foundation  for  a  great  commonwealth  laid, 
•why  then  we  will  buy  a  large  estate  somewheie  upon 
the  banks  of  this  beautiful  river.  It  will  be  delight- 
ful, in  the  midst  of  trees  and  parks,  to  build  a 
grander  Hyde  Manor  House.  Most  completely  we 
will  furnish  it,  in  all  respects ;  and  the  gardens  you 
shall  make  at  your  own  will  and  discretion.  A  hun- 
dred years  after  this,  your  descendants  shall  wander 
among  the  treillages  and  cut  hedges  and  boxed 
walks,  and  say,  '  What  a  sweet  taste  "our  dear  great, 
great  grandmother  had ! ' ' 

And  Katherine  laughed  at  his  merry  talk  and  fore- 
casting, and  praised  his  uniform,  and  told  him  how 
soldierly  and  handsome  he  looked  in  it.  And  she 
touched  his  sword,  and  asked,  "  Is  it  the  old  sword, 
my  Eichard  ?  " 

"  The  old  sword,  Kate,  my  sweet.  With  it  I  won 
my  wife.  Oh,  indeed,  yes!  You  know  it  was  pity 
for  my  sufferings  made  you  marry  me  that  blessed 
October  day,  when  I  could  not  stand  up  beside  you. 
It  has  a  fight  twice  worthy  of  its  keen  edge  now." 
He  drew  it  partially  from  its  sheath,  and  mused  a 
moment.  Then  he  slowly  untwisted  the  ribbon  and 
tassel  of  bullion  at  the  hilt,  and  gave  it  into  her 


THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON.  247 

hand.  "  I  have  a  better  hilt-ribbon  than  that,"  he 
said ;  "  and,  when  we  go  into  the  house,  I  will  re- 
trim  my  sword." 

She  thought  little  of  the  remark  at  the  time, 
though  she  carefully  put  the  tarnished  tassel  away 
among  her  dearest  treasures ;  but  it  acquired  a  new 
meaning  in  the  morning.  The  troops  were  to  leave 
very  early;  and,  soon  after  dawn,  she  heard  the 
clatter  of  gallopping  horses,  and  the  calls  of  the 
men  as  they  reined  up  at  their  commander's  door. 
Bram,  as  his  father's  lieutenant,  was  with  them. 
The  horses  of  Joris  and  Hyde  were  waiting. 

They  rose  from  the  breakfast-table  and  looked  at 
their  wives.  Lysbet  gave  a  little  sob,  and  laid  her 
head  a  moment  upon  her  husband's  breast.  Kath- 
erine  lifted  her  white  face  and  whispered,  with 
kisses,  "  Beloved  one,  go.  Night  and  day  I  will 
pray  for  you,  and  long  for  you.  My  love,  my  dear 
one!  " 

There  was  hurry  and  tumult,  and  the  stress  of 
leave-taking  was  lightened  by  it.  Katherine  held 
her  husband's  hand  till  they  stood  at  the  open  door. 
Then  he  looked  into  her  face,  and  down  at  his 
sword,  with  a  meaning  smile.  And  her  eyes  dilated, 
and  a  vivid  blush  spread  over  her  cheeks  and  throat, 
and  she  drew  him  back  a  moment,  and  passionately 
kissed  him  again  ;  and  all  her  grief  was  lost  in  love 
and  triumph.  For,  wound  tightly  around  his  sword- 
hilt,  she  saw — though  it  was  brown  and  faded — her 
first,  fateful  love-token,— The  Bow  of  Orange  Ribbon. 


POSTSCRIPT. 

[QUOTATION  FROM  A  LETTER  DATED  JULY  5,  A.  D.  1885.] 

"  YESTERDAY  I  went  with  my  aunt  to  spend  '  the 
Fourth'  at  the  Hydes'.  They  have  the  most  de- 
lightful place,— a  great  stone  house  in  a  wilderness 


248  THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE  RIBBON. 

of  foliage  and  beauty,  and  yet  within  convenient 
distance  of  the  railroad  and  the  river-boats.  Why 
don't  we  build  such  houses  now  ?  You  could  make 
a  ball-room  out  of  the  hall,  and  hold  a  grand  recep- 
tion on  the  staircase.  Kate  Hyde  said  the  house  is 
more*than  a  hundred  years  old,  and  that  the  fifth 
generation  is  living  in  it.  I  am  sure  there  are  pic- 
tures enough  of  the  family  to  account  for  three  hun- 
dred years;  but  the  two 'handsomest,  after  all,  are 
those  of  the  builders.  They  were  very  great  people 
at  the  court  of  Washington,  I  believe.  I  suppose  it 
is  natural,  for  those  who  have  ancestors,  to  brag 
about  them,  and  to  show  off  the  old  buckles  and 
fans  and  court-dresses  they  have  hoarded  up,  not  to 
speak  of  the  queer  bits  of  plate  and  china;  and,  I 
must  say,  the  Hydes  have  a  really  delightful  lot  of 
such  bric-a-brac.'  But  the  strangest  thing  is  the 
'household  talisman.'  It  is  not  like  the  luck  of 
Eden  Hall :  it  is  neither  crystal  cup,  nor  silver  vase, 
nor  magic  bracelet,  nor  an  old  slipper.  But  they 
have  a  tradition  that  the  house  will  prosper  as  long 
as  it  lasts,  and  so  this  precious  palladium  is  care- 
fullv  kept  in  a  locked  box  of  carved  sandal- wood ; 
for  it  is  only  a  bit  of  faded  satin  that  was  a  love- 
token,— a  St.  Nicholas  Bow  of  Orange  Ribbon" 


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CENTRAL  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
University  of  California,  Saji  Diego 

DATE  DUE 


MAR  2 '5 1981 


APR  1 1  1981 


UC  SOUTHERN 


B    000016523     3 


